If people do their home work they will find she will destroy his campaign as the maverick. In less than 5 minutes I googled and found that after 6 years as mayor, taxes increased 38%, she tried to ban books at the public library, she slashed funding for teen mothers. And my favorite is, she could not even run a car wash. If McCain had any good judgment he would dump her faster than his first wife.

I think she does both, Jack. Being so divisive, she solidifies BOTH the Republican base AND the Democratic base. Another George Bush, for sure (claiming to be a uniter while doing everything possible to divide the country). Hopefully, the Independents will come to the rescue and get us OUT of this horrible cycle by voting for Obama. THEN we can end all this divisiveness once and for all and bring the country together as one.

Please mention the backlash from community organizers around the counrty against Palin’s speech last night. It shows how very little Palin understands about the prblems of the rest of America. A big warning to Americans: please don’t let yourself be carried once again by the cultural war tha Sarah Palin (through the courtesy of her speech writersssss who are former Bush people) is launching again. This election is about bigger things: the economy, the country’s future, your children’s future. IT IS NOT ABOUT little things.

Jack did u Notice how she………how she used the “Agent of Change” Theme….she’s definitely going to end up hurting him, the idea of them keeping her away from the press is Ridicuolous……Let the games begin…

Maryland

Jack, I gritted my teeth and watched her speech last night. So after giving Karl Rove’s speech, which was condesending, rude and down right hateful, she didn’t say a word about the state of the economy, people losing jobs, homes, banks closing etc., Parades her Pregnant daughter and her boyfriend around like the GOP is now the poster people for teen pregnancy. The GOP can’t run on anything else, so they decided to bring out a very shrill woman to try and make this election about abortion and patriotisim. But they failed, alas she didn’t wear a FLAG PIN!

Helps if you are a dyed in the wool Republican. She’s not a maverick.. she’s a hard core, straight line Republican who doesn’t hold one Democratic thought or belief as her own. She is preaching to the choir.

Hey Jack, When they panned around the convention last night as the masses aplauded did you notice something missing. You could count black america on 1 hand. The speakers were all white and the delegates 98% white. Iowa is tired of that. The rest of america is tired of that. Barack is rapidly unifying the masses while McCain is unifying the GOOD OLE BOYS as evidenced by the Old White guys speaking last night.

Heck Jack I am still in shock, after donating to Obama’s effort to dethrone Hillary, I have taken down but not thrown away my Obama signs. with 63 days and a wake-up till we vote I am sitting on the fence for now.

Both – she helps him at the conservative core of the party and hurts him at the fringes – the farther away you get from the core, the less likely people are to buy the “ain’t she sweet” song. I for one don’t want someone in the Whitehouse who’s “just like every average American” – I expect and want better.

Sarah Palin proved that she is an embittered woman who can only ridicule and and criticize her opponents. Sure, she will help the McCain ticket attract people just like her! Sadly, there are a lot of them out there!!! I was embarrassed by her.

Louise Indiana

McCain’s choice of Palin as his running mate has validated his lack of an agenda toward addressing the issues and change this country needs. She can read canned speeches and attempt to tell what most far right think is a joke about pit bulls with lipstick however I am from Florida. Pit Bulls are illegal in Florida, the soccer and hockey moms who have seen the damage and mauling these animals have done to young soccer players don’t get the humor.
The only joke will be the results of this election. FYI, these animals are euthanized when caught post attack mode.

hi jack
this speech she gave might hurt McCain because he can read well from the teleprompter and it will make it look like she belongs on the top of the ticket.
clearwater,fl

As an avid Hillary fan, I accepted our party’s decision to back Barack Obama, mainly because she entreated us to do so.

After the last 24 hours of watching the Republican convention and after hearing from Gov. Palin, attacking Obama (with her lackof experience), I IMPLORE Senator Clinton to ramp up her campaigning on behalf of the Democratic ticket – I can’t help but believe that Hillary is as true a patriot as any of us and WE NEED her to actively, passionately continue the cause and help us all elect Obama.

Please, Hillary and Bill, step it up and go full on! We need to have you vigorously out there, dispelling the lies that the Republicans are spewing.

Thank you – I will meet you out there on the trail.

Jamie Owen
Newport Beach, CA

I watched her acceptance speech and was pleasantly surprised. I have never voted republican in my life; however now, I have to choose between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin because I wouldn’t vote for either one of the Presidental candidates. So Sad.

What a difference a day makes. Despite the media’s attempt to question her commitment as a mother, she will be a huge help for McCain. And, yest, she has more executive experience that Obama and Biden combined. I thought she would have a hard time following the masterful performances of Huckabee and Guiliani last night, but she rocked! Finally conservatives have someone who can deliver their message as well as Obama does for the liberals.

If people actually listened to Palin, she will hurt McCain. Her views are too naive and extreme. My Republican wife said they (the McCain camp) must think women are really shallow if they can put up this woman with no tested experience and extreme views and expect to get their votes. I think my wife is right (and NOT shallow).

BillD
Champaign, IL

Sarah Palin may help McCain secure the religious conservative vote, but her hardline anti-choice views will probably alienate the majority of US women who may not be particularly pro-abortion but do not want to see their options erased. If disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters needed a good reason to not stay home or cast a protest vote on election day, McCain just gave them one.

I really think in the long run she hurts McCain’s bid for the White House. John McCain has run on a platform that preaches bring people together and unity. What I witness last night was anything but bringing people together. She has excited both bases. Those Hillary Clinton supporters that felt left out by the Democratic Party now see that the Republican Party is not for them. Palin runs as a Social Conservative with strong moral values and deep religious convictions. I wonder if she thinks that speech she gave last night is pleasing the person she worships?

It hurts McCain, though he is presently enjoying the spectacle. The question for most of us is WHERE IS MCCAIN’S IDEALISM NOW? NONE! PALIN, last night, showed up for duty as a FOOT SOLDIER IN KARL ROVE’S DARK ARMY of division. Until most members of the media get it in their head that McCain has thrown his idealism and the maverick past down the window, we are in trouble–because they are not doing their job. They should have seen what is happening, and called it like it is. Clearly, we know now that Palin and McCain are no reformers but partners marching to the same Karl Rove tunes that have been played by Republicans in Washington and throughout the country most menacingly in the past 20 years. After Palin’s big speech, what next? And does it (should it) matter? Palin has not answered specifically to many allegations or scandals swirling around her nor has she addressed any of the real issues of this campaign. Instead, she comes blazing with negative attacks and pleading that she be considered fit for the job simply because she is a woman who is your “average hockey mom.” With that any woman can be Vice-President or even President. Left behind in this calculation are women who are truly qualified for the job—K. Baily Hutchinson, for example, on the Republican side! To add insult to injury in this gamble, Palin felt able to compare her competency and background with that of Obama–a Harvard-educated lawyer chosen by his Party (not by one man) who served eight years in the Illinois Senate, is serving in the Senate as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, has managed a very successful campaign and is received enthusiastically within the United States and around the world. I can’t believe it. The only way Palin is better than Obama is gutter talk! Because Palin delivered a good speech written for her by Bush-Rove divisive dark operators, that suddenly eliminates the concern we should all have about her qualification to be a potential Commander-in-Chief? If the media caves with feelings of guilt, we are done as a democracy and the most powerful nation on earth. At its best, the media stands as a sentinel of freedom. This campaign should be about facts (see the AP fact check on the RNC, Sep. 4/08), truth and issues, not personalities and personal attack. An uneducated electorate wielding a vote is a danger to democracy. That is why we have often elected the wrong people, for the wrong reasons and times.

Sarah Palin is a lot better looking than Dick Cheney…but it ends there. She seems to be all show and no go. I definitely would NOT want her a heartbeat away from the presidency!

Is it me or is that new stage a big middle finger to the American public?

Let me put it this way Jack, when I saw the pick I almost fell out of my chair laughing at what may be dumbest pick in the history of politics. It’s like the Republicans have given up on trying to lure the votes of intelligent people and are not even hiding the fact that they count on the uneducated and uninformed to be swayed by image and ideology.

He hurt his own chances of winning just by running. But she definitely puts the cherry on the Sundae! What a joke. I just gave Obama some more money this morning, as I’m sure many others are doing after the pit bull was let out last night. Barack, baby, don’t let them jerk your chain sweetie.

She helps with the base of Conservatives and Evangelicals. Other than that, she will be a hindrance. She is not qualified to run this country in time of war! She is inexperienced and hasn’t traveled abroad. Plus, she is very hypocritical to get on stage promising help for special needs families when she reduced the same benefits in her own state. All of the sudden, now that she has a baby with special needs, she grew a heart? Plus, having 2 small children myself and feeling protective and guilty whenever I leave them, I find it very difficult for her to raise her family under those circumstances and WHY would you? It certainly will not benefit her 5 kids or the special needs baby. I find her ego and inexperience a MAJOR turnoff! It’s obvious that she needs to spend more time with her family…not less!

Wildwood Crest, NJ

She hurts him. She shows how out of touch he really is……..So out of touch that he did not properly vet this woman.. he just chose her.. on the basis that she is a WOMAN…..

Palin definitely helps McCain’s chances. She has more executive experience than Obama. She will certainly help bring change unlike Obama’s pick with Biden. McCain hit a home run big time with her as his VP pick.

Palin worked for Ted Stevens . End of story. Reformer my buttocks.

Harrison Township, MI

Jon Stewart on the Daily Show pretty much summed up the GOP last night and thoroughly exposed them for the liars and cheats they are so Sara Palin’s selection can hurt McCain in the end.

On another note Jack you should have enough material from the McCain campaign to write a sequel to that great book of yours.

Jack, Sarah Palin’s pretending to be a poodle, when she’s really a
self-described pit-bull will surely sink John McCain’s ship. She is Dick
Cheney in drag.

if the drip, drip, drip of previously unknown background keeps leaking out, it will hurt him.

The only thing it does currently is solidify the base which he has anyway. It does nothing to bring in the Independents and unless he can do that, he has a major problem.

As a hard-core Democrat and Obama supporter, I hope she stays on the ticket.

If Gov. Palin gets to control the story around her, she will help. If the McCain camp continues to play defense on the issue of his VP pick, they will lose.

Jack,

The only way Palin is helping McCain is by taking the media heat off his back for a while even though it’s to her own detriment. You don’t suppose she was really selected not as the best VP choice but as the sacrificial lamb.

Raising teenagers isn’t easy and my heart goes out to Palin as she and her family deal with her daughter’s pregnancy; however, I don’t think it’s an issue for a Presidential/VP controversy.

What I do think should be addressed is Palin’s decision to join McCain on the ticket knowing the media would consider her entire family fair game in order to get a headline. If this didn’t cross her mind, she gets a “D minus” in life experience and judgment and if she accepted with the knowledge of what was to come, she gets an “F.”

Jack, Sarah Palin’s speech will help John McCain and its base, however, there is no substance in her speech except bashing of Barrack Obama. Is Obama the main focus of the problem facing Americans today? No, its not, we have trillions dollars in deficits, higher record of foreclosures in home mortgages, middle class families can’t afford to fill up their tanks and health care system is out of reach for an average Americans and all that I hear from the incoming VP is attack on Obama. It is an insult to me to hear her speech because it doesn’t give me any hope for the future and at the same time I don’t think Obama’s plan is perfect but at least he laid down some plans to the public and I hope John McCain does the same tonite. Thanks for inviting me to your forum. God bless!

It’s a bridge to no where.

I find Gov. Palin to be likable, and I enjoyed her well delivered speech. Unfortunately, it was right out of the Karl Rove textbook. I’d still like to know what she plans to do for middle class Americans, and the squeeze on them thanks to 8 years of misguided, self-dealing and big bank/corporate oriented “policy”. (Read giveaways.) She did not close the deal for me in any way based on her speech. But I’m listening.
KCLaw in KC

Palin is McCain’s long-shot gamble to help him win the presidency. His first choice was Joe Lieberman, which was talked down in the Republican upper echelan because he is too controversial. It is entirely possible that McCain, if elected, will still look to Lieberman as his unofficial #2 while Palin basically fills the seat.

Jack,
I think she hurts McCain because after the room empties, the lights go out, , and the TV screen is brought back to Wal Mart , she promises more of the same last eight years. This is not what America wants and she can’t hood wink enough of them to get McCain to the promised land on Pennsylvania Ave. . She is just a passing fancy,
Judie
St. Augustine, Fl

. . . .He’s the one who picked the right wing nut!

Well Jack, that depends on what it is you are voting for, a gender, a race or a party, which seems to be the case with most people. I think the real question is this: Is America honest enough to admit its prejudices, smart enough to put them aside, and courageous enough to take a chance on a man who may just make change a reality, not just a pipe dream for the middle class.

Wilmington, North Carolina

What a joke the Republican party has become. Of all the choice McCain could have chosen, he choice a very unqualified VP candidate.

Jack,
After that comment about community organizers( “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities” to refresh you memory.) I think that just about anyone with an ounce of humanity who had not already run to Obama will be running to contribute. Geeze finally a woman that makes Hillary look kinder and gentler. Wonder if she could be sent in a Joe’s proxy? Imagine that fight. WOW!

It is six of one and half a dozen of another, Jack. He’s a goner regardless. Pit a young, intelligent, knowledgeable person who wants to help not harm our country and all the people……against an old, not well, out of touch senior citizen who is only interested in coming to the aid of the wealthy and the oil companies, which is mostly one and the same, and it is no contest, regardless of who McLames running mate is.

Palin is a right wing nut case. She will lose the black , pro choice, gay, youth and hispanic votes. She is so flaming red those 18 million Hillary fans will now RUN to the polls to vote for Obama.

I suppose Palin does help McCain if all we Americans cared about was rallying around the flag, fighting the big war on terrorism and now engaging in a cultural war on the eastern elites. Palin and McCain can rant and rave about all that until the cows come home. But, at the end of the day I have to sit down at my kitchen table and figure out how I am going to put food on the table, pay my bills, put gas in my car and hope I do not get sick as I cannot afford too. I have not heard one word offered on stage at the Republican convention that addresses the issues I face at the end of every day at my kitchen table. But with that giant American flag waving behind their podium every night, why would they even care about me and all the other millions of Americans sitting at our kitchen tables staring at our pay stubs?

When did going to Harvard and then going to the poorest secors of our population to help the needy, become something to be derided? Obama could have gone into any number of prestigious law firms and made a ton of money, but he went to the south side to help the disadvantaged. Where does, 9-11 exploiter Guiliani, who’s job approval ratings were the lowest of any mayor pre 9-11, and was having an affair while in office get off being the hatchet man for the Republicans?

Forget about McCain – she hurts all of us. Talk about coming off as an airhead – she did not discuss the issues of real importance or explain her qualifications. Just a bunch of sarcastic insults towards Obama. My response – my largest donation yet to Obama. If you feel the earth shaking – it’s the rest of world laughing at us.

Victoria K. from Cleveland, Ohio

Jack if the voters want a blustery old man who is looking for a fight with anyone or any country accompanied by a female pit bull then she helps. If the voters are looking for solving the problems of the economy, health care and an end to the loss of young American lives in a war that shouldn’t have been started, then she hurts his campaign.

The 2008 model of John McCain needs a lot of help. He is no longer a Maverick. Now he is just the GOP puppet that will do anything to win including putting this woman on his ticket. Palin has more issues than John McCain can explain away, For this reason, he will regret this choice. He is too old for this much drama, he is a military man and being married to one, I know they don’t go for all this. Too complicated, she will hurt him in the end!!!

Palin hurts McCain because she’s stealing his spotlight. She’s becoming the facade for McCain. Two weeks from now, people won’t know who McCain is.

Bill-the-Thrill
Cambridge, MA

I don’t think it will be much help…..if any.

At the moment, with things so excited at the NRC, Palin is ‘just what we need’ and it is all caught up in the over-all ‘hoop-laa’.

I have to wonder, once she is out and about in public to talk about the Republican platform (doubting she beings up the results of the past 8 years), just how popular she and McBush will be.

I hope, as the’ dirt and mud’ are thrown (by both sides), she will be able to deal with it or will she have to hide behind the shield of ‘gender’ when things get rough. If she is going to ’sling’, then she had best be prepared to be ‘hit’ as well.

She may have be mayor and governor in Alaska, but this is national politics and at some point, I believe her inexperience will be clearly shown.

Palin may prove to help or hurt McCain. Two months is a very long time in politics. In either case, it seems hard to imagine, today, that she is the irresponsible, patronizing choice that many in the press were charging before they had any idea who she was.

I used to admire what I thought was objectivity in journalism. Maybe that’s a virtuous ideal we should revisit on occasion.

Sarah Palins speech did nothing for me.I can understand when McCain attacks Obama or Biden or vice versa because they know each others position on the issues.All I could picture during her attacks on Obama and Biden is her sitting in a room as her speechwriter explains to her what each attack is about because aside from the personal imformation, I doubt she had any input on the speech.For gods sake this is a women who when interviewed by her own hometown newspaper didn’t have an opinion on the Iraq war because she was to busy focusing on being governor.Who in America dosen’t have an opinion on the war whether your for or against it.Yet because she can read a speech shes qualified to be V.P.??? Can’t wait to see her on the Sunday talk shows unscripted.

Clearly, this election will not be won by appealing to one’s base alone. But this is precisely what she did. Same old divisive politics of ‘pulling wool over the eyes of the electorate’. Where are the issues addressed here with America’s economy in a recession? Implicit in this strategy is an ignorant electorate. No wonder they do not want the issues raised by the media.

Gov. Palin will ultimately hurt John McCain’s chances as people realize that her record from supporting the Bridge to Nowhere, leaving her small town 22 million dollars in debt, thinks the war in Iraq is one of God’s “tasks” to name only a few.

Anyone with coaching, speech writers and a partisan group can deliver sarcasm and red meat. It is ridiculous that Palin has chosen not to sit down and talk to the press. That is insulting to voters when someone is running for VP. It is mind boggling that the media is not calling her on it.

If I were John McCain, I would be hiring a food tester. This woman is to McCain what Brutus was to Cesear.

It appears she’s energized the far right wing, religious fundamentalist base. That could help or hurt. The more rational Republicans may throw up their hands and stay home – or vote for Obama – after they realize she’s nothing more than a more inexperienced George Bush in a dress. The women McCain was hoping to win over are, by and large, insulted by the notion he thinks any candidate with the female anatomical parts will do.

I don’t think white men are going to take Palin all that seriously, and although everybody talks about McCain’s need to cut down the gender gap by appealing to women, Palin may actually help Obama gain more working class white men. Palin is a lightweight bossy harpy of the kind all too familiar to a lot of white men. In the new economy, they often have her as a boss — nervous, patronizing, loud, micromanaging, quick to fire or threaten to fire, bringing her personal problems and vendettas into the office, forcing you to consider her husband’s opinions, preening and narcissistic and disrespectful of subordinates, competitive with the women and preemptively, aggressively defensive with the men.

She helps within the base, obviously, but otherwise I think she hurts McCain. Sarah Palin last night proved herself to be yet another puppet in McCain’s show. She dug into the same old Republican playbook that’s been used time and time again and I heard no new ideas, no possible solutions to our current crises. Her attacks against Obama were disgusting, offensive, and below the belt in a few cases, even going so low as to mock his former occupation of community organizer. Last night effectively snuffed out any benefit of the doubt that I may have given her. So much for that “breath of fresh air” they were all so giddy about.

She helps McCain and the Republican Party continue to divide and ruin this great country they like to say they put first. She appeals to all of those issues that keep us in our boxes of gender, class, religion, and race. I was inspired by Obama’s ideas and I am discouraged by Palin’s daggers. Unfortunately, I think she helps McCain manipulate America.

The past eight years shows what a greenhorn governor can do to our country. Sarah would be under the control of the neocons puppeteers who gave us Iraqi and four dollar gas. Hopefully we learned our lesson but you never know. We fell for it twice before!

If I didn’t know any better I would swear that Palin is running for president not McCain. After all the buzz about her speech there is almost none about McCain’s speech tonight. After one speech that was written for her she going back into an undisclosed location to be hidden from the media and only to be brought out for special occasions. The McCain people are going to call any questions and criticism of Palin as being sexist. If the electorate falls for this disgusting strategy they deserve what they will get. So much for the straight talk express.

The Republican VP lottery winner proved she is way over her head in regards to national issues. She has no answers to any relevent issues confronting our country in these trying times. Frankly, I can’t tell the difference between her and a pit bull even when she is wearing lipstick………

Palin is a caricature of right wing nut and plays to the base which helps. For anyone who thinks about McCain’s age and health problems and then looks at her as a non-starter for president, she hurts. That’s the real question: if something happens to McCain, can Palin be president?

Anyone with half a brain knows that the answer is NO!

The jury was out whether I would be able to back a McCain/Palin ticket. She is certainly no Hillary Clinton but she has now won my vote. Intelligent, strong and thoughtful. She had the courage to take Obama head on and despite coverage to the contrary she was substantive. Obama and Biden listed a laundry list in their convention speechs—-no actual plans.

I will not be held hostage by the Democratic party on social issues any more. Sexism especially in the media derailed Hillary. Sexism has reared its’ ugly head since Palin was nominated. Enough is enough. McCain/Palin 08.

She helps add fire to the Republican party and gives them something to be excited about since there is nothing else to be excited about. She hurts him as seen in her speech last night. She offers the same empty solutionless rhetoric and personal insults that the Republicans are famous for. Just now its wrapped in a pitbull with lipstick that only leaves a lip print with her weak bite.

I say she can’t hurt Jack. I love her energy and the way she presents herself. She has as much, if not more spunk then Hillary has. I say America needs a soccor mom who will stand up and make damn sure they hear her out. I think she can be the true voice for Americans who want change. The hell with experience. She’ll be on our side and that you can take to the bank.

Sarah Palin is likely to hurt:
a) John McCain
b) Obama / Biden

Jack , you guessed right. The answer is a.

In a way I feel sorry for McCain; how would you like to be the 2008 candidate who is picked most likely to kick the bucket? Nevertheless, Palin could become Commander In Chief, and that’s scary. She may have given a good speech, but if she doesn’t do well in the debate, then it really is over for the Republicans.
Chattanooga, TN

Jack, I think she hurts big time.
When you are trying to pretend to be the party of high family and moral values and your pick has a pregnant unmarried child and a small baby with special needs of her own, it looks like these people put more value on ambition than their own family. If they care so little about their family, how much do you think they will care about the american people.

Are you kidding Jack, she will be a tremendous asset to McCain, she showed that last night. Yes, she will have to answer some tough questions and I think she is up to the task. She is an unknown right now but then who heard of Carter before he got into the politics and that even applies to Bill Clinton, how ever heard about this Gov. from Arkansas. I think given some time she can rise to the occasion and we should not be so quick to judge.

I am ashamed that Sarah Palin became a Republican puppet and attacked the very hard working class people, like community organizers.

Who does she think she is? How dare she…

Hurts. She and her family made him look like a pale, sick, old man on stage last night. And why didn’t he say anything? Because he can’t adlib. Her dynamic nature showcases his lack of charm.

She is also way too conservative for most women voters, and she lied in her speech. She wasn’t always against the bridge to nowhere and has supported Ted Stevens in the past. We don’t need another President who doesn’t tell the truth. And regarding the thought of her being “one of us”, wasnt’t that “W”’s claim to fame? Can I please have a president who’s actually smarter than the average bear? Please!!!

Third point, she’s sassy, but does this attitude really lead towards working across the aisle with a democratic lead congress? 4 years of gridlock with her my way or the highway attitude. No dice.

As a female Republican, I am extremely disgusted at the fawning over Sarah Palin. I did not hear anything different than has been repeated consistently over these past months. The only difference is the commentor was in a skirt. Her policies are the same as McCain’s because that’s her job. She, as well as McCain, have lied over and over and over again about Obama’s tax policy. Anyone who may have listened these last months understands Obama is not raising taxes on most of us who are middle class. If you make under $250,000 a year, your taxes will go down. I am sick and tired of the Republicans making exceptions for the rich at every corner. As was said by one commentator, I feel the Republicans have left me. I never felt I had left the Republican party until I heard more rhetoric last night. I am really disgusted. I would like the media who are fawning over her to explain to me exactly what was different in her speech last night.

I think her negative rhetoric will ultimately hurt his maverick image. She helps energies the extreme right but they would have voted anyway, if only to vote against Obama. What McCain needed was the middle… the people who are tired of the same old politics and she gave us, verbatim, George W. Bush language written by his own speech writer! It was ugly to watch, Jack. Painful. Particularly the belittling if community organizers. Did they know that Jesus was a community organizer? And MLK? And Gandhi? This will backfire.

Jack, Gov. Palin will only be able to take her Insult Comedy act so far.
I seriously doubt she can sucessfully take her act on the road with much success. Americans are not laughing when it comes to the dire problems we face each day!

Sarah Palin will not help and here are the facts.Until this woman shows some remorse and state where her child conducted the sex to be pregnant.Why is this important?Palin does not allow sex education in schools.She has brought the young man into the spotlight instead of keeping a low profile.What can she tell American families with teenage girls.go to school and have sex ,and if you become pregnant it’s going to be ok.This is a woman willing to do whatever the Republicans want her to do regardless of the crime.It’s a shame on John McCain and all he’s thinking about now is how to win the White House.Where has country first speech gone?Where is the toughness and strickness in both Palin and McCain.I’m waiting for her to be released to the media for some serious questioning.

Hi Jack,
I think the national news media and Obamas’ campaign should re-run (often) the film clip of McCains’ response when asked what the duties of his vice-president would be? His reply (paraphrased) was “The vp should be concerned with two things: To cast the tie-breaking vote for the ‘house’, when required, and to continually inquire as to the health of the president.”
If these are the only things McCains’ vp is needs to do…..what’s the big hub-bub all about. Just stick to the differences in the campaign platforms…and may the best person win!

Jack
Houston, Tx

It amazes me that republicans would pick someone that so undermines all of their primary arguments. They attack Obama’s experience, and we get a governor with half a term. They attack his patriotism on the basis of flag shaped jewelry, and give us someone who wanted to Seced from the Union? This is country first? It sonds like she wants to leave america for good and take the whole state of Alaska with her. Not to mention her glowing example of the effects of abstinance only education on the family.

Jack, she adds yet ANOTHER perky female voice to McCain’s fumbling, breathy campaign. Sure, she’s as right-wing as they get, and that brings back the GOP base, but she’s not the uniter they need or the figurehead for change that the Dems offer. She’s as white-trash as they get (take it from white trash); a gun-loving, bible-thumping redneck from the sticks. Sure, she has executive experience, deciding which roads to pave this month and fending off the Russian invasion at her Alaskan border. She’ll draw in the base and maybe grab some Hilary voters, and who knows, maybe that’ll be enough.

As long as no one takes a long look at her she will be perfect. I could care less about her family values. What I care about is what her executive experience shows. She raised taxes, cavorted with lobbyists, worked with Ted Stevens to bring million of dollars in earmarks all while crying how 180 degress from this she really was.

I have heard the tape from troopergate. She may have cleaned up corruption, but it seems like it was more to eliminate the competition. She is now claiming that the Senate has no authority to question her aide. Doesn’t that have a nice familiar White House ring to it? If the Dems were smart that would make commercials highlighting this and asking if America was ready for another 4 years of Bush corruption?

Maybe that will make people take a real look at Palin, and not the celebrity they are portraying her as.

What’s the difference between her and a convict? Lipstick.

Palen’s speech was typical republican sarcasm and mocking of Obama. The worst thing however is how quickly the CNN media team changed. For two days they’ve been asking if she was qualified to be president and commander in chief if McCain dies. Every time they asked the question, the republicans attacked Obama and never answered the question. After Palen’s speech, your team fell all over themselves in proclaiming her a STAR. Not one person asked the most important question. What did Palen say that changed the concern that she’s not qualified republican to be president in an emergency.

Jack, you’re a dishonest boob of a propagandist for Obama. Palin didn’t say she wasn’t aware of what the VP did, she stated that line in a criticism of the ineffectual nature of the office, stating that she likes to be more productive than the VP spot appear.

Please, have some integrity, honesty, and correct information in your spiel. What garbage! CNN (Communist News Network) should fire you.

And, Jack, aside from breaking tie votes, what exactly DOES the VP do?

After Palen’s newfound “celebrity” dies down a bit, I think the Republicans will see that she hurts McCain’s chances. So far her most valuable experience seems to be as a sports reporter, able to read a teleprompter and deliver a swaggering pre-game talk. She spoke of danger – hopefully the American people will realize the bigger danger is giving power to an impulsive “maverick” who wants to pick fights all over the world, and his snarky cheerleader who justifies her extreme social views and abuses of power because God is on her side. Haven’t we had enough of that already?

I don’t know if it will help or hurt McCain. But what I do know is that sending messages to young voters that bullying and attacking gets you ahead hurts America.

I’m getting slightly tired of that metaphor of “electrification.” It was a mob scene reminding me of German rallies in the early 30s. Hate the other, hate the other, hate the other. We’re the pure race. USA, USA. Ueber alles.

I feel like I’m watching some really cheesy PG movie entitled “Hockey Mom Goes To Washington”. What do people say about life imitating art? Unfortunately, this is no movie and it may turn into a “horror-able”
reality show….

Thanks CNN for showing us that she was reading from a teleprompter. I held my nose and watched her spew hate. But how else could she get her point across? She’s not educated enough to be funny *and *subtle. She was so totally in-your-face abusive that I was shocked the FCC did not censor her. Of course she will whine sexism when she is creamed in the debates.

Jack,

More important than your question is why Blitzer, Cooper, and the rest of your networks talking heads went along with the Republican kool-aid drinkers last night and praised Palin’s speech. It was awful and has done McCain irreparable damage with independents.

Tim, Houston TX

As a working professional and hockey mom, I would not condone anyone calling into question whether or not a woman can successfully raise a family and have a career. The Obama campaign has also condemned any such suggestion. It is the Republicans who keep faning that flame in the hopes that the American public will be dumb enough to fall for yet another smokescreen. As far Palin’s family is concerned, it is a legitimate issue that she has jumped on the abstinance only, no sex before marriage soapbox. This policy is obviously flawed and was met with opposition when it was implimented. Now we find that in her own family (who we should assume has all the benefits of money, love, support and parental guidance) this abstinance only policy has failed. If anything should cause Palin to re-think her position, it should be her own child falling victim to being kept ignorant of all of her options (or is Palin saying that she did not practice at home what she preaches in public?). However, typical of Republican practices, instead of just admitting that the policy is flawed and should be modified, she will stubbornly dig in her heals and stand by teaching that clearly does not work even in the best of family situations. It is this habit of standing stupidly by failed policies at the expense of America and the American public that is so indicative of the Republican Party and so damagingly dangerous. Because they have failed on issues such as the economy, jobs, health care, education and Iraq, once again they will attempt to win using smokescreens and fear. I for one am tired of hearing that the Republican Party is the only party that can keep us safe. They were guarding the gates when we were attacked on 9/11. If they could keep us safe why didn’t they???

Jack,
One thing for sure, Sarah Palin can READ a good speech to a crowd. For that, she’better then W. That and a good quality hockey stick is probably all she needs to intimidate Putin et al. Any member of Toastmasters by that standard could be Vice President. Hopefully, the American voters will wake up and educate themselves before voting the country further into the abyss.
David, Las Vegas

Palin is taking this election is nasty, spiteful direction, and I think she is using being a female against the media. There is a double standard, but it is in her favor. Instead of the media focusing on what she has done, good and bad, they are focusing on if we should talk about it. Lets not ignore the Pork spending and family values like bringing your 4 month old special needs baby to a convention at 11p with thousands of screaming people. Where are the values there?

Jodie- Colorado Springs, CO

I was shocked to see the tone of the Republican convention last night. I got the message over & over, both by the speakers and by the signs and chants of the delegates in the audience, that we are regressing to the Bush politics of 2004, where people who disagree with the government and the war are unpatriotic and un-American. That kind of thing is exactly what McCain fought against just a few years ago, which made him appealing to me at the time. And the video surfacing of Palin telling a church congregation that nothing she does as governor – not the school funding, or road paving, or supplying of police – will matter unless Alaskans are “right with God?” Are you kidding me?? That is precisely the kind of You’re-Not-A-True-American-Without-Jesus stuff that chased moderates away, screaming, from President Bush! I know because I was one of them.

Watch out, Laura. Looks like Sarah Palin could be President Bush’s new soul mate!

sarah is no hillary—–thompson needs to renew with “Law and Order”, the Ice Princess and Father Time should go to Alaska and” chill out”.

Sarah Palin helps McCain. She is a young, energetic, bright woman with the right stance on all the issues important to Republicans plus her family is a living example of the moral issues also important to Republicans. Knowledge, experience and blond hair are the only things she lacks. Palin can learn what she needs to know, gain experience on the campaign trail and buy a bottle of hair dye. However, even blond hair will not cause me to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket because the Republicans are wrong on all the issues important to me.

Sarah Palin will help and is helping. She is the future. I was so glad when she gave you guys in the media what for, I wanted to jump through the roof.

yes, she spoke to most of America last night. She spoke about the can do attitude that succesfull people in this country have. You know keep your head up and keep fighting when the going gets tough.

Barrack and the Democrats say “we will (meaning government) is here to take care of you. You can’t do it like we did. We are special, you suck so let me take other rich peoples money to pay for you. So you vote for me.

It is obvious that Sara Palin portrayed herself as a very supportive mother of Bristol, her 17 year old pregnant daughter. While this is admirable, I would like to ask, mother to mother, “How would she react if one of her children disclosed to her that they are gay?” Would her support be the same or would that not fit into her ‘born again Christian’ profile of herself?

She will help the Democrats which will kill McCains bid for the white house…Of course, the people who voted for Bush twice will only vote for McCain anyway because they think the country is doing great…

The first time I heard Palin’s speech, I was impressed with her grit. The second time, I listened more carefully, and her words lost their luster! She acted more like McCain’s attack dog than a potential VP. I’m an Independent, and this average hockey mom won’t be getting my vote!

I am an Independent leaning towards Democrat – I was a Hillary supporter but last night my voting choice was made…Obama. Last night I learned that Palin is a very good speech reader, very good with sarcasm and a “hockey mom.” What I didn’t learn is what she has done in Alaska that quallifies her to be Vice President of the United States. Her speech really told me nothing except that she knows something about energy, that she supports John McCain and that she’s not shy to use dripping sarcasm to try and demean her “Opponent.” Well, if she wanted to rally the Hillary supporters, I think she did that – when push comes to shove, we support our candidate and while I may not have wanted him to be the Democratic nominee, I am now rallying around Barack Obama now and he will get my vote! Thanks Palin for helping me make up my mind!

well PAT ROBERTSON likes her, even though he didn’t even know of her a week ago. i think he just wants a free moose hunting trip, then he can talk her into killing some leader of a foreign country. nuts attract other nuts, McCain knew he was whipped, before this choice, now hes doomed….i guess we will soon see the straight talk express airplane on ebay..

I think she does nothing to help him. I dont think anything can help him. She doesnt even know him and he doesnt even know her. It scares me to death to think she could be in a position to run the country. Her speech had no substance she really is a pitbull. A FEMALE one!!!!

Watching Palin last night was sad, McCain really thinks that because Palin is a woman that no one will ask her touch questions. I can’t wait to see how she handles answering questions that was not written by someone else. If Biden does not want to go there, please call me. I have no problem debating her.

I was willing to give Gov. Palin the benefit of the doubt. I was hoping she would come out to introduce herself and provide substance solutions to America’s problems – economic and national security.
I was hoping she would put forth her vision for America and how to effectively assist in leading us in this 21st century.

But instead she was a let down. Her answer to defending her accomplishments was to try and diminish Sen. Obama’s strong legislative record and accomplishments. She stayed on the attack, lying and using vicious, divisive, gutter attacks. Basically, she proved and defined herself as someone who’s deeply rooted in the old failed and dirty politics America have seen year after year.

She has no real plan to make the American people lives better on the very serious issues we are facing – education, health care, mortgage crisis, poverty, energy crisis, job losses, etc.

She has proven, as have McCain, that she is committed to continuing the failed policies of Bush. And this is a shame since Bush has the lowest approval rating ever – 26%. …this is a shame since 80 % of the American people believe the country is on the wrong track and people are desperately seeking a new and better direction. This is a shame since America has lost it’s creditability abroad and neither McCain nor Palin has any solutions to offer the American people and our allies around the world. They are so “out-of-touch” on the needs that this nation is facing right now in this defining moment in history. They just don’t get it. They truly don’t have real solutions to fix this nation’s serious problems.

It’s time for the American people to get it right and NOT vote for McCain-Palin, instead vote for change. It’s time for this country to turn the page and seek a new and better future for ourselves and our children. It’s time for REAL change in Washington, it’s time to elect Barack Obama for president !

It’s the Obama-Biden ticket that’s needed at this defining moment in our history because this team is wiser and stronger to meet the challenges this nation faces at home and abroad.

It depends on whether or not you are a true conservative hungering for someone who might actually represent you. To those voters, which McCain had trouble connecting with, she helps. To voters that will look at her record in Alaska and lack of experience in a big pond, and not just the letter R placed at the back of her name, she hurts him.

I hate to say it, but I think she will ultimately hurt McCain for the following reasons:

1. She made a huge mistake by slamming community organizers as being irresponsible fools. Not a good way to win over independents and democrats who believe in volunteerism.

2. The serious lack of substance in McCains campaign is magnified with her nomination and Obama slamming. He already lost a lot of voters by airing so many negative ads.

3. The “vote for the hot chick” pins worn by many male delegates were not complimentary to shattering that glass ceiling, which may cost him the women’s vote.

4. Most of us want our daughters to go to college and not get pregnant and married at 17. Gov. Palin has made it look like it is OK for teens to get pregnant as long as their parents force them into marriage.

5. By not letting her talk to the media, they are making it look like McCain is hiding something. None of these things can be too good for him.

I think Palin and McCain hurt each other. Palin and her husband are a disgrace to parenthood. The lack of parenting and a lack of communication is apparent here. When my daughter and son was 17 years old, they were enjoying their senior year in high school – getting essays written for college applications and the like. They were not indulging in sex because my husband and I preached to them about absinence and the importance of going to college and having a career first. Palin says her family is like any American family; I say proudly that my family is not like her family.

I think that the Republicans are in trouble. Out of all the candidates they pick a man who is 72 years old.

He shows his judgement by picking the least qualified female Republican.

And, if they Republicans win, this country is in REAL trouble.

It can only ultimately hurt McCain. We all know that her speech was written for her and only read by her, but it was clear to me that her ambitions are on the presidency, and some of her phrases signified that. She sees McCain as dead.

I have never considered scarcasm as entertaining or informing on anything but the person with the turned up nose, so I was thoroughly disgusted. Her speech was degrading and an insult to women. I am a retired hairdresser, my husband is a retired coal miner, and we rasied two daughters and one son. Our son has an MBA from Columbia in NYC. Our oldest daughter has a Masters in Education from SIU in Carbondale, Illinois, and our youngest daughter has a Masters in Law History from Websters University in St. Louis and a Bachelors from the University of Illinois in Champagne. We worked very hard and did without ourselves to get them their education without help from the government. We live and were raised in a small town. Our values are family, honesty and personal achievment of our own doing.

We deserted the fundamental religion at adulthood because of their divisive beliefs and their wish to believe they had the only answer to everything.

We raised our kids with the idea that we, as parents, do not have the right to decide their future because they are not ours, we are theirs.
We had no teenage pregnancies, no drug problems, no problems with the law and they were all three straight A students.

I, by my own values and standards have the right to say to Palin, “You have failed as a parent by forcing a mistake in your own pregnancy on the life of your mentally challenged son. Do you really think he would have chosen the life you, in the fundamental religious self-rightousness, has forced on him? Do you think your daughter will value your ignorance when she realizes she is a single mom with a child on her hip? Most teenage marriages do not work. Force never does. Choice is the answer to the pregnancy of teenagers, and choice has never been abundant in your religion.”

If the McCain/Palin ticket wins this election, let’s hope the God of the Universe, not the fundamentalist religion, helps us all.

Donna Sherman, Scott City, Missouri

One thing she’s sure to hurt is Community Organizers. I read that McCain had to cancel his ‘Habitat for Humanity’ appearance after she disparaged them last night. Too bad the Republicans are falling for her speech hook, line and sinker without any fact checking. I just hope you and your journalist friends at CNN will do more than cover teen pregnancy- go after the stories likeWasilla’s debt going up during her reign, the real story on takin gon the good old boys in alaska, and running on the ‘bridge to nowhere’ platform. AWe need real journalists now more than ever. Don’t fall for more lies coming from Bush’s speech writers.
Teri

I was shocked to see the tone of the Republican convention last night. I got the message over & over, both by the speakers and by the signs and chants of the delegates in the audience, that we are regressing to the Bush politics of 2004, where people who disagree with the government and the war are unpatriotic and un-American. That kind of thing is exactly what McCain fought against just a few years ago, which made him appealing to me at the time. And the video surfacing of Palin telling a church congregation that nothing she does as governor – not the school funding, or road paving, or supplying of police – will matter unless Alaskans are “right with God?” Are you kidding me?? That is precisely the kind of You’re-Not-A-True-American-Without-Jesus stuff that chased moderates away, screaming, from President Bush! I know because I was one of them.

Watch out, Laura. Looks like Sarah Palin could be President Bush’s new soul mate!

Olivia Rice
Houston, TX

Of course she helps him. She was GREAT and knock Obama out of the park.. The Dems are running scared because she isn’t afraid to tell the TRUTH. Of course all your bloggers are Obama supporters. Why don’t you ask something positive about Palin and McCain and quit being so bias. You are becoming a grouchy, ugly old man Jack. What are you going to do when the Rep. win this election. I used to be a Dem. but am ashamed of the mean and hateful things they are saying about Palin and things they said about Hillary. God help us if we elect a freshman senator with 143 days of EXPERIENCE! Jeanette Lewis

She peddles political snake oil almost as well as you and the Clintons.

II was born in a small town, and was a working mother, and I do NOT feel that Sarah Palin in any way represents me! I want to know about health care, loss of jobs overseas, the ECONOMY and not her groundless attacks on the opposite side. I shudder to think of her meeting with the leaders of Russia or Iran. I feel there should have been more thought put into a pick of such importance, considering the age and health of the pick for president. She is NO Hillary!

Palin has no class! She has a nasty mouth, evil tongue and think she’s above all. She will reap what she has sow rather or not she will help or hurt McCain. As a matter of fact, I can garantee you that their campaign will not succeed because of the spirit in which the campaign is being ran on. Evil will not prevail!

this coment will not get through as you only post liberal ones
but i am a hillary supporter and now a sarah supporter and cannot
wait to vote for someone u has actually done something in goverment

she is going to hurt his campaign. she is going to get eaten alive at the debate because she does not know the issues that are important to average americans… you know the issues the republicans say are not a factor in this election. plus no one will be there to write her answers and coach her performance.

Jack: McCain’s campaign has been going downhill for a long time so I think that Palin’s “new kid on the block” presence is bound to give him a boost. But, what happens when all of the RNC convention hoopla dies out and voters have digested (or not) her credentials, i.e. PTA pres, sports announcer, athlete, business-owner, e-bay seller, small-town mayor, governor for less than 2 years and the biggie, shooting a moose? I’m left with the old song, “Is That All There Is?” John McCain has insulted my intelligence by choosing her. Now is the time for us to all say, “Power to the Press” and let’s find out who she is.

Palin is a big mistake, does Mcain think women are stupied. Any right thinking person would see that most part of her speech were lies.
I did a look up last nite after her so called speech on Obama’s achievement in and out of the senate and wat i found out is that she is just like mcain ,she just doesn’t get it .
Mcain thinks he is the next Nelsen Mandela, well maybe but that is not wat america needs now.My advise for Mcain is that he should look for a nursing home ,sit down and write about is experience in the War ,America would appreciate that ,instead of another eight years of unnecessary revenge

Jack, if I were you, I would go back and read the answers to your question “Should John McCain replace Sara Palin. I did, and they are so funny! After her speech, I’ll bet there are those who would like to take back what they wrote. HA!! Just goes to show you what little minds some of those folks have.

Jack, she alienated and angered a LOT of people who are community organizers. She thought she was being clever and scoring points but instead she was angering and making a lot of people angry who go out of their way to help the less fortunate and there are a HUGE number of them that vote. Such people help those in soup kitchens and other events for the less fortunate. She just showed how easily lead by her Republican masters and out of touch she is just like McCain.

I think she hurts it. In her speech last night all I heard was McCain’s words in a female’s tone. The only thing that she made up was the introduction of her family. Did you notice how she continued to say what McCain will do for the country? She never used the word “we”. She said nothing about what she will do for our country, nor did she prove that she would be a good leader. Of course, she had alot of witty things to say, but so does Jay Leno and every other comedian. She seems more like of McCain’s campaign manager rather than his VP.

A couple of more things. Why does everything to revolve around the right wing anyway? There are plenty of people in this country that don’t move like sheep behind some fool spouting off on the pulpit but we still have beliefs. Difference is we don’t force them onto other people. Palin has a double standard. There’s a lot more to be known about her that isn’t public yet but it will be and by the way what’s with that hair? I seriously wonder if McCain has been checked for senility or at least the beginning of it. My dad started showing signs years before he got worse and we didn’t realize it at the time. Looking back I know now why he acted the way he did. Perhaps McCain is starting to show those signs.

No one in their right mind beleaves that the GOP would let a woman have any say in their party. Sex sales and she is sexy. This is just a distraction. People are looking at a sexy woman and not at the facts and issues. They should have tried for Pam Anderson. Leave it to a sailor to pick a bomshell for his running mate. I bet Cindy don’t let those two campain alone togather at all. In the end she will hurt him as we are not as dumb as the GOB thinks we are.

I’m an independent. John McCain lost my vote when he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. I removed my McCain bumper sticker from my car on Tuesday. I’m now a reluctant Obama supporter.

Unfortunately, judging from the reaction from the far right, I think Palin will help McCain with the Republican base and with people who like her pretty face and spunky attitude.

Democrats don’t understand that many Americans vote based on emotion. Sarah Palin is a far bigger threat to Joe Biden than Democrats realize.

James Parsons
Fairfax County, Virginia — A battleground state.

Jack, at this point who really knows? Given the fact that she probably was not fully vetted let’s just wait and see if any other skeletons jump out the closet. Gov. Palin did a great job delivering what I beleive was a prepared text from the McCain campaign. I’m also waiting to see how she does in a one on one interview like Meet the Press and the V.P. debate. Voters should also understand Gov. Palin is Pro-Life and if McCain is successful, you can bet that ROE VS WADE is history. So, to answer your question, she probably helps Mccain with his conservative base but I’m not sure if she helps him with those undecided and independent voters yet.

It’s a strange display. The democrats have nominated a young and charismatic man who is now being advised by a veteran of the political arena while the Republicans nominate a veteran who will be advised by someone who doesn’t seem to have any good advice to give.

This does show that while both presidential candidates are good choices, only Obama seems to have the wisdom to surround himself with an appropriate political entourage.

The head of the state does not work alone and americans should see their choices in their political team as an important criteria for the upcoming election.

My questions is, aside for responding to the press which she could have done during one on one interviews, she did not have a theme or message for her party about how she plans to help change the direction of the economy and all the issues we the American people care about. Are these people for real. McCain is just running for running sake cause he wants to be president. This is not about us, its just about him. If he cared about the American people he would stay on message and only focus on the issues. He slings mud all the time that is why I can’t stand him. And the POW stuff, if he is so proud of his only accomplishment, why are there homeless POW’s all over the country and McCain has been in the Senate for over 20years. If he even made his cause about restoring dignity to his comrads I could consider listening to him, but all he cares about is that it is his turn to be president.

Jack, McCain knows nothing about the economy, by his own admission. Palin knows even less. Her much vaunted claim of expertise in energy matters needs to be debunked. Going up against the local oil bad boys does not an expert make! Energy expertise is understanding the difficulties of drilling in the Bakken formation, it’s grasping the intricacies of clean coal technologies, wind turbines, cutting edge solar and battery technologies, it’s having a detailed insight into the minds of leaders from Caracas to Baku. She has none of that. She brings no economic expertise to a ticket that desperately needs one. When the magnitude of her economic ignorance is exposed, she will sink McCain’s chance at the presidency.

I think that Sarah Palin is only one of the roadblocks between McCain and the white house. I think the real trouble for McCain is that he is trying to condemn Obama for being an elitist, when he owns several homes & has plenty of disposable income. He tries to make Obama’s “celebrity” status a negative, but now Palin is becoming quite well know and watched by the media herself. McCain is demonizing the media for reporting on Bristol Palin, reminding us that Obama has taken the high road by not addressing it.

It seems as though McCain is pandering to gain the support of his most conservative party members, and assuming that women are not well read enough to research a candidate beyond her sex & will hop onto the bandwagon for him because he chose a woman. As an American under 35, I believe John McCain is out of touch with young Americans.

I think I can safely say we don’t particularly want our choices to be legislated. Even if you don’t agree in equal rights for a gay couple (which my husband I both support), it is not government’s job to dictate what we can and can not choose. If a man chooses to love another man, that is part of the beauty of democracy. We all have the right to choose what we feel is right for us. And frankly, I am tired of the ultraconservatives trying to convert the whole country into gay hating, gun toting, pro-life mindless masses. I prefer being able to choose my life path for myself.

Remember McCain saying “Senator Obama would rather win an election that win a war”? Seems as though he’s forgotten about the war and is now doing everything he can think of to win the election.

It depends on whether they publish Cliff notes on :
1.) The war on terrorism
2.) The solution to our country’s 9 trillion national debt
3.) What are alternative fuels? (Other than drilling in Alaska)
4.) Curing unemployment and the economy
5.) Fixing our Social Security System
6.) How to structure a workable healthcare system
7.) How to get to know the American voters from coast to coast in
60 days or less
Don’t think so…….

Palin gave a masterful performance last night, which is going to give a lot of people second thoughts about who would really be running the country. I am convinced a Vice President Palin would put Alaska first and the rest of the country second. After all, the pipeline is god’s will according to what she is saying to Alaskans.
The thought that all those crazy extreme right wingers would be praying to have a President McCaine out of the picture so that they could annoint a new American theocracy is a scary thought.
McCaine gave up his first V.P.choice to appease the evangilists. What will he give up to appease Palin?
No, I don’t think people will want to risk a Palin presidency.
Helen, a New Hampshire independent

Sarah Palin definately helps McCain’s chances. She’s like an insecure schoolyard bully with a bad home life who beats up classmates on the playground and shouts “four eyes, four eyes!” to kids with glasses. She’s like the catty neighbor on a network sitcom, the one that always delivers the best one-liners. That’s why she’ll help McCain. Come on, this is America. We don’t care about sensible debate and qualified politicians. We elect pro-wrestlers and Austrian bodybuilders and pop singers to run our cities and states. We don’t root for the quiet intellectual or the humble hero, we root for the candidate that provides the most entertainment value. I bet she’ll inititate a “your mama is so ugly” smackdown at the debate.

Whoever is McCain’s VP won’t make any difference if the economy continues on the dive it is on. I notice as I enter these comments that Dow Jones is down 320 points, a day after Palin’s convention speech. Obviously stock market wasn’t impressed.

Jack

According to Karl Rove she won’t help him with her resume. Karl Rove made fun of Tim Kaine for only having served 3 years as State Governor and being Mayor of Richmond. I believe Karl Rove laughed and suggested that being Mayor of the 106th biggest city in America is hardly credentials to brag about or make him qualified to be VP. Where does Wasilla, Alaska rank on Karl Rove’s list?

Shrill and bitter, divisive and snide is how she came across. I had hoped for bettter, and was surprised she didn’t try to reach out to the middle more. More than anything else, I was taken aback by the belittling she gave community organizers. What happened to G.H.W. Bush’s 1000 Points of Light? Why would ANYONE deride THAT?!

She hurts with independents and democratic voters for sure. It’s like the republicans don’t care about getting new voters. We don’t want to hear sarcastic remarks about the other canditate but about what u will do for the country to fix the mess G. Bush put us in. Does this woman even have an original thought? And does she even know what a community organizer does? I think not!

Jack,
After being a volunteer PTA person for many years and a leadership PTSA role for my children who were in high school, I am disappointed. I dedicated my service to educational programs and to publicize them for children/parents in all communities. Our PTSA was very successful in bridging 6 school districts together to keep our children safe. PTA stands by their vision “Every Child, One Voice”. It does not matter what school/district/ etc. That is “community service” coordinator. Obama did the same and was paid a low income employee. He could have chosen another road of money, instead he chose serving. After a nursing career in newborn and pediatric healthcare services, I know I would not be qualified to run as a VP inspite of the leadership roles I had at hospitals. What concerns me is she has a handicapped baby, how can she run for VP. My neice has Down’s Syndrome and I quit my job to help my sister out when she was born. Her speech was amazing to watch, however I think this will back fire. Her family should come first, not the VP. I see her daughter holding her baby more than Mrs. Palin is. She may be an amazing feisty lady, as myself as known for, however she will lose credibility .

Jack,
McCain acheived his goal…someone shorter than he, more rabid, evangelical, not a war hero, or brighter than he!!!

Now will she help or harm? She reads the teleprompter well- she spoke to the choir, she drug her family across the stage, she hammered Obama, she made her homey jokes, BUT where is the beef or should I say moose!

She did not deal with issues- she did not deal with the pain of the economy, the stress of war, the lack of funding for unwed mothers in Alaska, the enery crisis, Aphganistan ,Iraq, Iran, the bidge to Nowhere, ETC!

She was not vetted…we will pay for that…if she is elected–the repub’s will pay sooner if there is a gultz in her background…

Another thing: Obama has had 24 million votes cast for him, McCain- 21 million and Palin– less than 200,000 thousand!

All she did was blast Obama. She did not have anything to say about the economy-which is what we care about. Not only will she hurt McCain, she cares little about the people also. I see another Bush in the making. I did not like her-too negative. We do not like negative. she would have been better served if she told us what her qualifications were. But again, that’s the problem, she has none so she had to focus on Obama.

She may ignite the Republican base, but the rest of us are not buying into this. She is not the “girl-next-door that the McCain camp wants to project, but rather the personafication of a perfect guest for the Jerry Springer show.

And I am not sure which will be a better read: the National Enquirer stories coming out this week (and next week) or the many fact-check sources that are providing a LENGTHY list of all the lies and distortions in her speech.

Poor guy even had to to cancel his appearrance at a Habitat for Humanity the day after her speech. I guess McCain realized they were not laughing (along with the GOP) about the attacks on community organizers in Palin’s speech Wednesday evening. Oh well…one more tranpsarent McCain phot-op to “pretend” he cares down the drain.

McCain’s judgement is one that “keeps on giving.”

Jack

All she does is seucre the Republican base, As for disaffected Dems and Independents, not a chance.

All Obama has to do is concentrate on her record in Alaska. As Mayor, she raised taxes(38%), expanded town expenditures(33%) gave the town a $22 million debt, applied for “earmarks” that McCain specifically railed against, tried to ban books in the library, and fired(or tried to fire) any one who disagreed with her.

As Governor, she is stil on the earmark gravy train being behind hundreds of millions in earmarks for Aslaska. As already known, she was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it. And she is still firing people who get in her way.

Her ultra right wing views on reproductive rights, sex education,the environment, ANWAR, climate change, the status of poplar bears as an endangered species, amongst others will do little to attract middle of the road Americans(let alone liberals) to the McCain/Palin ticket.

Her judgement stuns me. Mrs. Family Values putting her unborn child at risk by flying to Texas to give a speech then flying home after her water broke! Amazing.

Palin hit a home run in the convention center last night. For the better part of America, the America that will ulitmately decide this election, she hit a weak blooper out to the right field baseline. She’s out.

Yeah, she will help America by putting a dead moose in every pot. Honestly, I did not know until last night that there were rednecks in Alaska, but I sure do now.
McCain would have been better off with Lieberman on the ticket, and if you knew how much I hated Lieberman, then you would know what a slam that was to Palin.
Get that piece of female white trash off my tv set, please. Thank you.

I guess if you’re a republican, you liked what you heard last night. Well, the “hockey mom” won’t be having much time left for hockey anymore. She accepted the nomination for V.P. and gave a nice speech. Is funny that while she points out the family values and how she’s been fighting corruption in Alaska, she also blames the media for pointing facts as her being under investigation and her daughter’s early pregnancy, not to mention that Mrs. Palin won’t be with his baby son, who suffers Down syndrome for the next couple months. I am not one to judge Mrs. Palin, but she certainly makes me wonder about all the things she brags about. Ironic was to hear Giuliani( Mr. “Celebrity” himself), tagging Obama as a “celebrity”. We all know Obama brings crowds together because he speaks about what’s really hurting America and the world. Oh jealousy, jealousy!

I certainly was impressed!!! Perhaps if McCain/Pulin win the election it would be a good lesson to the dems. to not shove a candidate you don’t want down your throat. When my mom & dad were good old democrats they were hard working & compassionate & didn’t expect the gov’t to bail everyone out that was dumb enough to get in trouble. Mrs. Obama made a speech stating that sometimes when you bake a pie you must share some of that pie. If I bake a pie I don’t want to share it just because someone down the st. was too lazy to bake their own pie!!! Typical dems. Tax, tax, tax!!! The media also reports that Pulin attacked. I call it a rebuttal. They questioned her credentials first. I’m finding the Republicans more sensible & if I hear “Another eight yrs. of Bush” I’ll just vomit!!!

Judy

She can do nothing but help. I had been leaning toward Hillary at one time, but now I’m solidly with McCain. Her story, her values, her family aren’t all that different from mine. She’ll be great as our next vice president.

Shala
Douglasville, GA

I think in the long run she will hurt him because McCain’s biggest hope was that the fear mongering would get those who are not hard-core conservatives voting for him because they are afraid of terrorists (just like Bush did).

Now, with Palin one heartbeat away from the presidency, maybe they will start to wonder about their safety and those who did not consider Obama might now consider him.

Who knows. I’m just so tired of a country that votes based on fear instead of vision.

If there’s a chance Obama can win, maybe I can get excited about politics for the first time in my 47 years of life.

On a side note, boy, those republicans were nasty. I felt like I needed to take a shower after listening to all their ridiculing and Palin’s sarcasm. She did NOT make me proud to be a woman.

Palin did nothing last night but Obama bashed along with the good ole republican boys…I didn’t see hardly any of black america in the audience….hmmmm…Palin speech seems like it could have been written by Giuliani himself-so negative I might add. I think her negativity along with Giuliani’s negativity with hurt McCain’s campaign. I am voting for Obama because he clearly speaks unity while the republicans are creating disunity.

The first comment was sure articulate and well thought of. She said it perfectly that the people that understand her and know where she is coming from love America through the thick and thin, and the hardest people she fought for are the hardest working Americans, farmers, steel workers, fisherman, Military men and women and Obama is fighting for the unskilled, unemployed, south side of Chicagoans which do 0 percent for our countries development. Whether it’s our economy or military the men and women voting (for the most part) for Obama are the ones who do the least amount to stimulant our government.

McCain Palin 08 (that is if you actually do something to make a living in America, if you collect a check then Obama and Biden are a good choice.)

Wow! Members of this blog sound scared of a woman who is not afraid to speak against Obama’s pending coronation. ..

Jim
Charleston

Just because you have foreign policy experience by itself does not qualify a person to say they are good at it. A politician can say that that have 20 years of foreign policy making, but if the policies they support do more harm than good, would you want that person over someone who may lack the experience, but has the zeal and desire to SERVE the people they are elected to represent? NO. The last time I checked, our politicians are elected to enforce a government of the people, by the people, and not according to the whims of a political party or a special interest group. I am very interested to see what ideas that Sarah Palin has to offer in the debate as well as if she can supply answers to problems that actually has the best interest of Americans at heart instead of achieving personal power and fame.

As time exposes Sarah Palin she will hurt John McCains chances. That is if the media and debate moderators make her and John McCain answer the questions asked instead of just letting them change the subject to what they think Obama has or has not done.

I watched the majority of the speech. I was disappointed. She has a meek demeanor. They used a speech that was written for Joe Lieberman and forced her to read. It did nothing for me. I was disappointed because I thought this was the time to make her come off good to women. She did not. She introduced herself to America as a condescending woman.

Hi Jack,
Sarah is a great step forward for the Republican Party but a small step in the right direction for the people of the USA. She is a Lipstick Dick Cheney with the classic hate venom to divide this great nation

What is astounding is that she is being presented as a leader with the killer instincts to handle a 9/11 type security challenge. This is from Ameica’s Mayor Rudy G.
Now seriously is Rudy saying that this Sarah is better than him on national security? Or do they think Americans are gullible?
Once you fool them successfully once (Iraq) its easy to do again.

Jack, as a Canadian observer, I am stunned by Palin. She is a very poor substitute for Hillary Clinton and I hope Americans will not be fooled into voting for a “women” irregardless of her qualifications.

As a mother with two young children, I think Palin is unrealistic to think that she can be an effective vice-president much less president. She will have to leave the raising of her children to her husband or nannies and if this is her plan, she should be upfront about it. A woman is fully capable of being the vice-president or president but preferrably once her children are grown!

You seem surprised that she stuck to what she knows in her speech
last night. Is that because most politicians don’t ? However, if
she only knew one thing and that were energy, wouldn’t that be of
help to every American. Isn’t the energy issue one of the most important issues of our time? To have someone who knows the issue and is not afraid to tackle those standing in the way of a real solution is refreshing! Sarah Palin touched the people last night
because she cares while demonstrating integrity,character and leadership skills. She is who she is…take it or leave it. There is
no phoniness in her. She is like Popeye…she is who she is!!

Now I know why I am not voting for either party. with kind of divisiveness, No wonder we can not get anything done in the congress.

I thought that John mccain was scary however Sarah is frightening and she is a proven liar to boot.

Hmmm…it seems like this board is overrun with a bunch of one-sided opinions who are so brainwashed by “hope” as I once was. I was once an Obama supporter and now, the more I listen, all he has are his speeches. It’s a fact not a belief, he has no experience in regards to leadership of this country. A leader needs to stay true to his values and beliefs and not flip flop his way around Washington.

Sure he can inspire people to want change, but the citizens of this country cannot personally change this country. It would be nice, but it’s absolutely not feasible. Instead, we rely on our president to know what’s best for this country and guide us. This is where we need someone who can actually walk the talk. I do not think Obama can do this. I am also not comfortable with the whole “I’m not sure what you are capable of, but here is the most important job in the US, let’s see what you got.” That’s quite scary to me, especially since the world is increasingly becoming a dangerous, hatred filled place, and Obama tends to have this “Can’t we all just get along attitude” which could easily be taken advantage of by some evil people.

I’m not saying I’m a huge McCain fan either. Something about having another, what seems like a typical republican in office does sit well with me either. However, he does have a record of leadership in this country. But still…I don’t fully agree with his ideas.

So what do I do? I absolutely do not vote for someone because of their VP. Therefore, for me neither VP helped out their presidential candidate. I absolutely do not vote for some because of their skin color. This would be completely racist and naive of me. And I absolutely positively do not vote for someone just because they are a good speaker. After all, my manager is a fantastic speaker which was probably a good skill during the interview. However, her whole team hates her and all she is, is talk. She does not represent us and she does not back us up. I feel like we’re getting the same thing with Obama, however, the people he is not backing up are Americans. That’s scary.

I would have to say hurt since the only thing she’s done for me as a registered Republican is push me even more firmly into Obama’s corner.

Do I smell some racism when the great Barracuda spewed her hatred remarks towards community activists???

There is only one question that the voters need to ask themselves regarding the candidacy of Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States.

That question is: would Sarah Palin have been considered as a presidential candidate by her party before or during the primary process?

I believe that the answer is a resounding no and this must be he number one criterion to hold this office. This is especially true considering the age and health concerns of John McCain.

Hasn’t faced the media!!! The media has been trying to destroy her since she was announced as the nominee.

Palin talks about how shes a pitbull with lipstick. I think she needs a Muzzle…

You know Jack…What kills me is that the Republicans are supposed to be the party of the religious right. That speech last night was totally combative and devisive and was totally aimed at the wrong person. She should have been mad at George Bush!! With all of the issues going on in the world, they seem to think it is ok to spend three days blasting Barack Obama. The speech would have been great if we were not in the middle of two wars, getting tested by Russia, paying more for prescriptions, losing homes, banks going broke, gas is sky rocketing, trying to combat 3 simultaneous hurricanes and trying to restore our damaged international reputation after George Bush. If anyone fell in love with little miss sunshine after that speech they are really sick. For the first time in my adult life I am petrified at the McCain/Palin ticket. If they win, I am packing up whatever I had left that they dont take and moving to Canada.

She definetly helps because she is a real person just like the rest of the ‘middle class’ with a family that’s not perfect just like the rest of us. She’s worked before just like John McCain. No one has taken notice yet that John McCain had a real job in the Navy and she has had a real job along with her husband. Both Senator’s Obama and Biden have always made a living by talking. They don’t know what physical labor is. What will happen to the economy when taxes go up on business with the democrats. Either prices will go up or more layoffs and let’s take investments more so less people invest in American business. As far as college is concerned it’s available to every American free after four years of service in the Military under the new G.I. bill.

Jack,

You hard core liberals are scared and rightly so. Palin is a fresh face, makes a great appearance, and appeals to women and independents. Keep attacking Palin; it only gains her more votes . . .

I think she helps him, but only because so many Americans are so gullable. Its likely because of the low quality of your public education system. Your country is in a sorry state and I hope those of you who know this will get up and vote this year so we can start being proud of our neighbours to the south again.

Bob,
Calgary, Canada

Sarah Palin will help McCain. She is not a Washington insider and that is very appealing to a large group of people who think the gridlock in Congress is our biggest problem. I rather like the image of unleashing a pitbull with lipstick on the Washington politicians!

Jean
Darien, CT

I understand the evangelical right-wing conservative base of the Republican party being excited about her. But why would anyone else be?

She won’t do interviews, seems to feel entitled to be vice-President without the public even knowing who she is\

All I heard last night was a smugness that rivals George Bush’s, and a message of divisiveness that I thought that we, as Americans, had outgrown.

I think she helps. None of his other choices would have garnered many extra votes and certainly nowhere near the attention. I’m sure had they known the real impact she would generate they would not have had the “intimate”‘catwalk ramp you will see at the convention tonight. When you have to bus people in for free to fill empty seats, intimate is the only way to go.
The sarcasm about Obamas ‘Greek pillars’ is easily understood when you consider Obama can draw 85,000 and McBush can’t draw flies. If he made a speech in a football stadium the peanut vendors would outnumber the crowd. With Palin at his side, he shouldn’t have to hold rallies in the dairy aisle of supermarkets anymore.

She reminded me of Maryann from Gilligans Island. Other than that she didn’t really say much at all and the speech was a fluff..

Jack, Palin is definitly a barracuda, but she is no president in waiting. As a republican i am disapointed with what i saw last night and at this convention.

I couldnt help but notice how many cowboy hats were flinging through the air…..isnt George Bush a cowboy too?

It’s too bad the GOP didnt use their time to reigh in independants and democrats more wisely, instead they focused on attacking the left just as Obama said they would.

Do these guys get any younger?

“But when it came to solutions to America’s myriad problems, Palin was noticeably lacking.”

As compared to whom? Obama?? Biden??

Please, Jack. “Change” is a slogan, not a strategy.

November 4 cannot get here soon enough so we can be rid of McCain and Palin. That speech last night was nothing but a barage of inflammatory rhetoric against Obama and Biden. She brought nothing to the table but one line assaults – we are sick of fear mongering – we need to hear how McCain is going to fix the mess that Bush has gotten us into economically. And no, Governor Palin, Sen. Obama is not going to raise the taxes on the majority of the American people – just fat cats like you and your cronies! That was just one of the many falsehoods you expounded last night. But I will give you this, you read a teleprompter exceedingly well!!

It will hurt ultimately McCain because it exposes both his recklessness and his hypocrisy in choosing such an extremist with so little meaningful experieince and so wantonly failing to require the most basic vetting of her. It’s gonna backfire big time, in time.

Some maverick he’s proven himself to be. He picks an unqualified, far-right nutcase without proper vetting. Is that being a maverick or being an idiot? The GOP will recover from its initial euphoria and realize that this pick was made out of political desperation.

Jack, I have been a moderate Republican all my adult life, never missed a chance to vote and AM a patriot. Last night’s speeches implied that, if I don’t vote for McCain, I am not a patriot and, if John thinks he cemented my vote (I am a woman) by choosing her, what he succeeded in doing was insulting me. I vote on issues because I think about issues before I vote. After last night’s vitrole and divisiveness, my hope that the post-Clinton-Bush era would bring an end to partisanship has been crushed. The GOP does not seem to want moderates. I have been expelled from my party by this extremist thinking. I was so discouraged when I went to bed last night! I am now what was coined an “Obamacan” (Republican voting for Obama). Mali in Palo Alto, California

She is great! She compliments John McCain. She’s strong. A wonderful speaker. I really like her a lot and her family is very nice too. She is a quick learner, and much more experienced than Obama. I can’t believe Obama made it this far. He has a lot of rich friends, I guess. Maybe I’ll get a job as a community organizer. It must be easy. I would feel much safer with Sarah Palin making the big decisions, than Obama. I hope John McCain wins the election in November!!

I have an idea. Lets call my mom and ask her to be Vice President. Seems the only qualification she has is she gives a good speach and she has the female reproductive system. When McCain kicks the bucket….do we really want this woman in charge of our country? Wake up Republicans. Stop voting for someone who shares your twisted moral views and start looking for someone who can run a country.

Sarah Palin’s choice will hurt the republican party by furthering divisions, reducing minority participation in the campaign and insulting women who know that just any woman on the ticket won’t do.

Jack,
I’m a undecided Republican and was looking forward to Gov. Palins speech. But what I witnessed last night was a disgrace. Period! Our leader are better than that. Or are they? It was really not what I was looking for. America is in a terrible position right now and we need a candidate that is going toe to toe on the issues not on how many low blows they can give their opponent…. like last night. I feel my mind is made up on Obama and I’m sure Gov. Palin will continue to do a great job for alaska in 09.

Palin will help the already strong McCain campaign. Just the mere mention of her name scares the pants off of the Democrats. I wondered why all the attacks and now I know, it is fear. She embodies everything Liberals hate a strong women with courage, values, and small town appeal. There was more substance in her speech last night than I have heard from Obama in a year.

It will come down to the issues and McCain/Palin are on the right side of the issues. Strong energy policy that includes drilling, Strong economic policies that do not include taxes, LESS government, and rewarding people for working hard ; that is what is going to get America back to where it needs to be.

The USA is the greatest nation in the world unless you ask Obama/BIden.

Where does she stand on any of the issues?
Forclosures?
economy?
ending the war?
immagrants?
health care?
education?
taxes?

She didn’t go into any issues or how to deal with them or pay for them.

All she did was attack.

Jack… I am not sure what it will do but I hope people see the real republican party at work. Personal attacks and tear the opponent down. We need to worry about our economy and they are not offering one thing other than “drill baby drill”. Sure drill so Bush and his pil buddies can make more $$. Sad/

What a fantastic VP choice. She articulated the conservative agenda in clear and precise terms. Governor Palin is a star in the making and will an excellent representative of the Republican party for years to come.

I think Palin hurts McCain because….
She’s a lot better looking than him but, smugness and mockery will get you nowhere. And, certainly not my vote. There, I said it.

Why hasn’t anyone mentioned the fact that she exploited her son going to Iraq even giving the date of deployment. I thought that was a no-no. Biden didn’t mention his son over there. I’m sure Track and his fellow troops are grateful that she just put a big target on them. No class.

This is the most ridiculous candidate for VP possible. She is not qualified, and to compare her with Biden, Obama and even McCain about this”executive” experience……. I guess if you run a sandwich shop, you have enough executive experience to be the ceo of Microsoft! Absolutely ridiculous!!!!

If Sarah Palin were running for the position as White House comedian to the GOP then she nailed the job at the RNC last evening. However, most of the middle class who are currently unemployed (like myself) who can’t afford the gas to drive themselves to work, have medical bills stacking up and have stretched their food budgets to the limit will find her “oh holier than thou” words to be smug and completely out of touch. .

As an Independent who has voted for McCain in the state of Arizona I’m suffering from whip lash. After seeing the RNC speeches, McCain has shown when in charge his vision for the America only extends to the Republican base. Now, both sides of the ticket have their rock stars. I just prefer the one who doesn’t belive the war in Iraq is ‘a task that is from God’.

While Palin might shore up McCain’s credentials with the James Dobsons of the country, her outright lies about the “Bridge to Nowhere,” her personal pork spending addicitions putting the lie to her “reformer” fictions, her mayoral book banning inquiries, and her “impregnated rape victims should carry their attackers’ children” view on the abortion issue will undermine McCain’s chances outside the so-called religious right.

Oh Jack the right wing nuts are all lined up now. I suspected they would have held their noses and voted for him anyway but now it is certain. I don’t see how this could help him with independents or anyone who would have liked Hillary(unless they are brain-dead) no offense to those people who are actually brain-dead.

I am an independent voter, and I was entirely on the fence. Until last night that is. I turned on the speech, hoping to find out exactly where Palin stood on the issues that affect my life. Instead, I got a Republican checklist of attacks against Obama (most of which, I discovered with factcheck.org are complete lies). The Republicans had a chance to tell me how’d they differ from both the Democrats as well as Bush’s failed policies and attitude towards the constitution. Instead, I got a female version of Dick Cheney. Well, McCain, you had a legit chance at earning my vote, and you blew it. Didn’t think I’d say this, but go Obama/Biden 08!

Let’s face it Jack, even as an Independent, I’ll admit she helps with the base. Which, let’s face it, is a bunch of old white people. I imagine these old white men are easily excited by a brash, young, (albeit scripted), attractive younger woman. This looks less like the RNC an more like an AARP convention. With that many old white folks in one place, Florida must be quite empty right now. As for her speech, it’s just more negative, critical, politics from the same old estblishment. Here’s a question for the next hour, which is thinner?, her expierience in office, her education, or the paper her speech was written on. As for my home, we’ll be voting for Obama.

I cringed while watching her speech. The bar was set so low for her that merely coming out and being able to string two sentences together made her “a star”. As a faithful CNN watchers, I was surprised how easily the panel last night fell into the Republican trap of thinking she was wonderful and might “appeal to lots of women”. I’m a woman and I am offended that any party would think so little of the American public to nominate someone so lacking in experience. If I have to hear the term “hockey mom” one more time, I will puck. If the media is so elist as the Republican play book of Rove and friends believes, why isn’t CNN exposing this woman’s past:? Only a handful of commentators (Jeff Toobin) pointed out the false statement about the “bridge to no where” that she was supposed to be against. No one has said a word about her husband who was part of the Alaskan Independence party. I’m a pretty socially liberal person but I felt for her daughter and her boyfriend – imagine your parents dragging you out on stage as a prop while the media works overtime on the baby story?? How sad. Wake up American, the Replican Party is back to same old tactics of 2000 and 2004. After all, we don’t want the Angry Left to take over.

Palin is a joke in my eys, but not in many rural areas where voters are inclined to not want any change. People are comfy in their ways and don’t want to rock the boat out there. Everyone in a small town is in everyone’s business so people are kind of forced to live within some common template of existence. Not for me, but this is America and if that is what people want, they will vote for McCain. We can not let McCain win on the rural vote. We must get all DEM voters out to the polls to ensure victory. My City vote is equal to the rural person’s vote – and that is great – but I just can not imagine another year of Bush politics, let alone 4.
I sent my $100 today to Obama. i might send another tomorrow becasue it is an investment – and i was a Hillary supporter but always knew i could (and will) vote proudly for Obama.
Finally, i agree that Hillary and Bill better go after Sarah like we have never seen. Someone needs to clamp her down because she is the embodiment of classic Republic evil. She lied like crazy last night. I will never trust her.

I think she will definitely hurt the cCain campaign as soon as the public learns more about her pasetor that condemned all Bush critics and Iraq war critics to hell.

Los Angeles

She hurts McCain in the election and that’s fine with me.

Sarah Palin raises the Republican ticket’s immediate visibility but it will be interesting if she helps sustain the visibility in a positive way. It is easy to seem poised when presenting a prepared speech to a favorable audience.

Here is my primary concern: Palin is running for VP on the ticket of a 72 year old man. No matter what her assets are as a Vice President, I do not think she has the experience, poise or background to be President.

So I think in long run she hurts because it was calculated pick not a well thought out choice! Also can someone tell me why didnt the RNC mentioned the Gulf Coast issues, there are thousands of people displaced. They are out of touch!

It’s all but over for McCain. Sharing the same beliefs as the Republican base does not make a person qualified to be the vice president of the most powerful nation in the world. I have faith that American’s realizes Governor Palin is some smoke and mirrors trick that John McCain and the Republican Party is playing on all of us. It’s time Governor Palin returned to Butt-crack, Alaska and take her self-righteous and extremely hypocritical self back home.

Watched Sarah Palin last night and loved the speech then watched the results from the CNN Headlines Group that graded her as they graded others at the Democrats convention and she blew the top of their rankings. What are Cafferty and the Democrats going to do the day after the elections in November and realize they once again backed the losser.. It really could happen you know. Look at the polls. Mr. Obama should have had this election put away along time ago and he did not get it done. Now it is a horse race with the silent majority not heard from yet.

Jack…

I don’t know whether or not Palin helps or hurts McCain’s chances to win the presidency, but I do know that Palin does not help my chances of reclaiming a country that cares about its citizens, fairness and the rule of law more than corporate profit and wrecklessness. If Palin and her soulmate get in, I’m not sure that we will recover from this madness.

Depends….too many voters tend to like flash not facts. If McCain/Bush/Cheney can script Palin for the next two months, she could be a help. Especially if you are desperately looking for a way to vote for anyone but a black man.

It seems obvious that she is all show and no substance so the debates with Biden should strip away the very thin veneer.

I listened to the speech on NPR and thought she sounded like a SNL caricature.

Indiana

Yes, it will help get the vote from people who don’t think too much, McCain’s target audience. Could give McCain a better margin.

Palin is more qualified to be President than Obama. Does she help McCain? Of course.

McCain shot himself in the foot with that choice. When I turned on Palin’s speech last night I thought I was at a comedy show. She was hilarious. I can’t understand why anyone thought that was a dynamic and awesome speech. My friends and I thought everyone who was praising that speech as a knock out should be bound and committed. She was dripping with sarcasm and that is not what I want to hear when people are losing jobs and homes at an alarming rate. I don’t care what type of columns were behind Barack when he spoke at the DNC. He was passionate and spoke of the issues that concern my family and I. If America puts that comedy act of McCain/Palin into the White House, then we are just going to have the same four years of sickening Bush rhetoric. GO OBAMA GO!!!

Tonya
Columbia, SC

The choice by McCain to put Palin on the ticket will in no way enhance McCain’s chances of winning in November. Palin and McCain never talk about the failing US economy, the failing housing market, the higher costs of food and energy. These are the issues in the forefront of this election. Sure, Palin can read a script well but time will show that she won’t be able to relate to the average middle class family. Americans will realize just how far to the right she is. She just proves that this campaign will do whatever they can to get elected. The speeches last night are right from the Rove playbook. A vote for this ticket is vote for a 3rd Bush term!

The bottom line is Palin is just the sugar coating to a big pile of poo that was 893 out of 899 in his graduating class. Jeez, anyone will make him look better then what he is. Problem is, once that sugar melts off yer still stuck with poo.

Sorry,

But I’m not about to start believing the Earth was formed in 6 days – and I’m here because someone ate the apple.

She only helps those blue-blood country club Republicans who understand “community organizer” to be code for “black” and who enjoy controlling the markets and jobs for their own benefit.
After voting Republican for most of my adult life (and I expect to get my AARP invitation in the mail soon) I’m abandoning this group of angry, bitter snobs for good. Conservative values? Ha! I didn’t hear one policy statement all night.

The speech had no emotion. If you looked at Obama’s, Hillary’s and even Michele Obama’s speeches the audience was tearing up, their speeches had soul. Palin’s speech was well delivered well but it seemed shallow. She will be the nail in McCain’s coffin because he is half dead already.

As long as they keep her away from reporters she seems to help him. It is ridiculaous how they are protecting her from the press. It makes me wonder whether she has any ideas of her own, or whether she is only being used by ultraright wing because her beauty and gender, which could actually do the trick with women who can’t see behind the pretty picture.

Jeanette Lewis–
Perhaps you should keep your silly, stupid comments to yourself. Nobody is bashing Hillary. Sarah Palin is getting bashed by her own party. If you were once a Democrat and just turned Republican during this election season, you are the biggest moron that ever lived. They are hateful and elitist. They donot care about people who are middle class and odds are, you are somewhere between middle to lower if you have a computer and internet. Heres a clue for you guys– Democrats love the fact that McCain picked Palin because she is unsubstantial. She has little experience, is surrounded by controversy, and will not have the well roundedness of other candidates to defend herself in debates. It will be fun.

In the end she will destroy McCain’s campaign, and would be a horrible role model as Vice President. Palin is a poster child for everything that is wrong with the hard core conservative right wing that has taken over the Rebublican Party. Palin seems to me to be both without integrity, quite a hypocrit. While she echos all the GOP’s normal refrains on ethics and morality, It is widely reported that Palin is under investigation right now for abuse of her powers as Alaska’s Govenor. Remarkable since she has only been in the Govenor’s Mansion for 20 months. Such behavior has become all too common for GW Bush Republicans (Remember Atty General Gonzoles). The icing on the cake is that she willingly parades her unwed pregnant daughter in front of the whole country as though that is something to be proud of. What message does that send the country, that teen pregnance is OK if it is followed up by a “Shot Gun” wedding. From my perspective she is failure as a Parent for exposing her daughter to unwarranted attention and ridicule during such a difficult time, is a failure as Govenor, and will be a failure as a VP candidate. Palin may energize the fringe elements of the Republican party due to her gun toting antics and anti-abortion stand, but the only thing her selection truly demonstrates is the political desparation and outrageously poor judgement of John McCain.

I look at it this way: Would the Boards of Directors of GM or Bank of America or American Express ever consider Gov. Palin as the back-up for their Chief Execuitive? Let’s get real! The Governor has little management experience and a long record of high-drama family and professional mishaps which have been cited in newpaper articles and websites for years. Vice Presidential material? God help us. McCain’s fiasco VP choice only proves one thing : a maverick — no, make that TWO mavericks — have no business in the White House.

She is going to do both. If they, the republicans would just give straight answers to the questions that were asked! Everytime a MSM asks a question to a surrogate they turn right around and attack Barack and Biden on what they did or did not do instead of answering the questions. Campbell Brown was right the other night in her questioning of McShames surrogate. I was once a Reagandemocrat but became disenchated with all of the lies and hate that they are preaching. Barack and McCain said that they were going to take the high road in this election – one candidate did – Barack! McCain is just Rove and Bushes puppet.

Last night looked like all the Republicans out there were enjoying the cheap thrills and licking their wounds … Rudy and Sarah both played to the stands and that was all .. no substance. Bad pick by Mccain – looked as bad as the baton being dropped at the Olympics by the relay teams or even worse ! Good Luck USA !

Let me please explain community service. Myself and my neighbors started a group community organizing team of 20 people. We have successfully mananged to register over 1,000 registered voters who will be voting for Obama within a 3 month time span so don’t tell me community organized leaders don’t have any meaning. It’s going to be the community organizers that will put Obama in the White House. Go Obama, the community organizers have your back!

I think she showed a remarkable ability to learn to read a teleprompter in such a short amount of time. I thought the downright ugliness of her attacks on the other candidates was disturbing. Without any specifics she appears to be just more of the same. I would not take anything away from her political abilities as a person to allow herself to be shaped by the campaign machine. She seems willing to say anything and do anything to get elected; a true partisan who is too willing to play partisan politics to be on a presidential ticket. A true presidential contender needs to be ready to lead all of us. She appeared to me to be just a puppet of the speech writer. I think she and people like her are dangerous. History is full of examples of broken personalities ready to do anything for control. Her leveraging of her family situation to attract the extreme right was obvious. I would not have had the heart to put my 17 year old daughter in to such an uncomfortable position considering her situation. That shows a real lack of character and disingenuous family values. The country does not need that type of phony.

Obama is still a very left wing liberal who wants us to become a clone of Europe. No thanks. Just go live there for a few years like I did and see how badly you want to come home, like I did, to AMERICA.

Palin helps McCain because she shares his sense of patriotism. They, like I, are not ashamed or afraid to be American and to love America, and to say so.

Palin is a game changer. Soon it will be game over for Obama.

HAA!! Jack, you’re a funny guy. Let’s put it this way: it doesn’t matter whether Palin helps or hurts McCain. This country’s going to hell in a handbag, and it deserves it. Get it?

As I watched the Republican convention last night, I could help but notice how EACH and EVERY speaker used the same hitting points that got a rise out of the audience, but nothing much else. Rudy Guiliani was meant to warm the crowd for Palin but he did his usual ME ME ME! show. Every train of thought he had was 911 this, New York that. Also, when Palin finally spoke, she reminded me of a former principal I once had that was mid 40s, who would seem sweet and wholesome when around the parents but would scream, yell, and spit fire from the pulpit in the auditorium to us students for no reason at all. This is Palin, someone who seems like the sweet frosting for the Republican party, but all that fluff and sugar only serves to hide the rotten and un-flavorful cake underneath.

As a woman, I am offended that the Republican Party thinks they can just slap a pair of ovaries on stage and I will vote for her! How on earth could this woman have been the best VP candidate?

Hmmm… let’s review her speech. God, guns, God, military, God, offshore drilling, God, values, God, tax breaks, Virgin birth… oh sorry maybe not that last one. She is “energizing” a constituency that would have fallen in line for him anyway and alienating the rest of us. I was a fence sitter before the choice, leaning Obama since, and after last night, I’ve officially fallen into the Obama pasture. Thank God. (See I can do it too.)

Well Jack, I suppose Gov. Palin, with her speech last night, answered your question from yesterday when you suggested that Sen. McCain should consider dropping her from the ticket. Yes, she will definitely help Sen. McCain win this election. I said WIN this election. When will the media learn that the Governor resonates with people in the South, Midwest and Rocky Mtns, whom choose to attend their State universities,enjoy fishing, hunting, going to sporting events and attending church, and understands them more than the Ivy League educated, elitist media types intend on destroying her. However, please keep it up because all of us “common folk” will be smiling in November.

Lasst night Sarah palin said she was going to be an advocate of the “needy” such as those with Down’s syndrome. Her record shows that she cut this budget for Alaska by 62% according to your CNN reporter this morning. This is a typical republican tactic when it comes to the poor and truly needy.

Hi Jack,
I watch her speech and I tried to be as independent as possible.I couldn’t see in any way how she will be a good vice president, Not only she shows that she is also out of touch with regular focus by disrespecting community activists, but also not once she mentioned anything about health care or education or middle class. she is just helping independent voters to make up their minds for Obama.

Fantastic! Finally! Someone that represents normalcy, and a *true* outsider to actually bring CHANGE to Washington.
VERY interesting to watch her as we go thru the next few months.

I think she will hurt John McCains, because she does not knew much about foreign countries. what if some how John is dead? she can’t deal with other coutries.

I am basically a consertave who has voted Republican most of my adult life. I think the past 8 years has proven the Republican party does not deserve to lead us for 4 more years. We are up to our eye balls in debt and involved in two wars which no one can really believe that we can win, with the definition of winning a war as destroying the enemy. We don’t seem to know who the enemy is.

Sarah Palin may not be judged to be capable of being Vice-President this year, but I’ll be willing to bet she’ll be the front runner for President in 4 years whether she’s an incumbent VP or not.

Last night’s speech was awesome.

If she can’t run a car wash, how can she run a country?

In the long run she will hurt his chances, especially when people focus on what her agenda is. As a women I find her disgusting and I hope she will get those rabies shots soon. In the short run it will increase the donations for the Obama campaign. I just sent my donation.

The Old man MCshame needs nobody to hurt him “he does it himself”

I dont know if she hurts him or not but the question that I would like to ask her is , since she states that she has more experiance then Obama and Biden since they have never held a executive possition is she also saying that she is more qualified then John McCain since I dont believe he has ever held another possistion then what he currently has.

So maybe she thinks it should be Palin and McCain instead of McCain and Palin.

If Pallin becomes the VP and, as some women are saying, should have taken care of her children first and, if she and Todd get a divorce, would he get custody of the children and get child support from her?

You know, I was kind of on the fence after Hillary didn’t get the nomination, but Sarah Palin makes my skin crawl. (Boy, and I thought Dick Cheney was the poster child for evil.) I have a feeling that a lot of people like me will turn back to Obama. She definitely hurts McCain’s chances with the middle of the road voters.

I think it will Hurt McCain. She is so obviously an attempt to woo the female vote- and its insulting to me as a woman that McSame would think “any old woman would do”. In addition, she seems to be just as much of a hothead as he is…not a good combination. As far as her kids go…you dont get it both ways- they’re in or they’re out- if you dont want them to be under scrutiny, then you dont parade them out on the press line. I look forward to seeing Biden tear up that pitbull in lipstick.

I think Gov. Sarah Palin will help Sen. John McCain’s candidacy, however, I don’t think it will make much of a difference after we hear Sen. McCain speak tonight. He will, all by himself show is reactionary tendancies and will, in effect, destroy his own chances. His defence of the so called “Surge”, shows his loss of direction. The question is not “Is the surge working?” rather, “is defence of the surge lost in the fact that the war was unnecessary and illegal?” She has not shown to be specific on her views but rather the “Pit Bull” she calls herself. Pit bulls should be outlawed!!!

Jack
Are you kidding me?
Anybody that saw that eloquent, moving and inspiring speech last night knows that she will help McCain enormously. I wonder if many people out there think that she is a joke now. She will be able to reach out to women all over the country and do what Obama needs Hillary’s help to do….relate to women. Nielsen today reported that 37 million viewers listened to her and viewed her, 19 million of them were women.

Now it is peculiar that many are accusing her of not offering much substance. Joe Biden says that her speech was all rhetoric and attack and not enough substance, now that sounds very familiar. Now Obama wants to focus on the issues, maybe he’ll start toneing down his focus on eloquence and start doing the same.

In the midst of ridicule, personal and professional attacks, and borderline sexist remarks against her she not only laid all of those attacks agains her to rest but she made the media and her crtics look foolish. May I add she also proved last night that she has the resolve to lead.

She couldn’t do everything last night but the following expression comes to mind….This is only the beginning.

GAME ON!

Sarah Palin is impressive, but she suffers from being rushed too quickly to the forefront of the Republican Party. She should have been featured as “The Future of the GOP” as their keynote speaker, like Obama was in 2004.

She could have impressed everyone, and four years later, she could run for president, just like Barack! She hasn’t earned the right to appear on the national scene now, and she will hurt McCain’s chances in November.

I can not imagine Palin taking the most powerful job in the world. She will hurt McCains bid for President.

What the Republican Party fails to realize is that women did not vote for Hillary because she is a woman. We voted for her because we thought her to be capable. Sara needs to realize that she is being unsuccessfully used by the GOP and needs to get out now before its too late. God forbid McCain falls dead tomorrow. Do you want Sara running the country? I sure as hell do not!!!!

Palin was great and definitely helps the Republican ticket. Biden is a throwback to Democratic machine politics similar to the milieu Obama arose from

SARAH PALIN:::Brilliant, savvy, tough, serious, formidable & never to be taken lightly. Watch her closely and you will see how good she really is…..Sarah Palin is the new republican shining star that will shine brightly for years to come. Welcome Sarah Barracuda….we’ve needed someone just like you for a very long time!

While her speech may only be round 1, Gov. Palin has the potential to have a greater impact on a presidential race than any VP candidate in my lifetime. Underestimate her at your peril Obamanation.

Jack,
I am sure from the perspective of the Conservative base at the convention, she appeared to be a boost to McCain. The room was filled with mostly older, mostly white delegates. I am an older, white, female, and I found Palin so negative, and lacking in substance, and real ideas, and lacking the “bi-partisan” spirit, I honestly believe the Hockey Mom, failed to convince me. And I still did not learn anything about her or her qualifications other than she can read a teleprompter, and act smug.

Wasn’t it obvious. Did you hear that crowd. I love her.

I consider myself a fairly well educated moderate. Sarah Palin is anathema to me, smug, self-satisfied and not well prepared to be a key player in world affairs. She may be a fine governor of Alaska, but that is indeed a different kettle of fish. If this is to be Arch Conservative America, she’s probably just the ticket. If it’s to be a bigger tent, she doesn’t cut the mustard at all.

Jack: Although not a McCain supporter, I think the Governor’s presence on the ticket could do nothing but help Grim Old Party’s ticket. Even the Evil Penguin would help if Mc Cain were running on
his own by himself.

I am a Hillary supporter who was not sold on Obama, am from Arizona and thought of voting for MCcain. No way after hearing Palin’s speech last night and learning about her standings on abortion and fire arms. I am a working mom of two who won’t vote for Palin just because she is a woman and she is a mom. I for sure will not vote for the Mccain ticket because of Palin’s Pro life, pro guns views, and her zero experience.

Jack, you tout Sen Biden’s foreign policy experience when compared to Gov Palin as a potential VP, but you don’t mention Sen Obama’s lack of experience when compared to Sen McCain’s indisputable foreign policy experience. Come on, Jack, if you’re going to endorse a candidate, why not just be up front about it?

Well, we will find out in due time what Palin can do on the campaign trail. Her first couple of days were not so great and it’s obvious she was definitely just reading some else words. The speech sounded nothing like her (from the vast coverage I had seen up until then). The Obama campaign needs to act like she doesn’t exist for now. He is on a slippery slope with women already. If they find a strategy for her or anything on her, save it until a week before the debates and unleash a storm right before she meets Joe Biden. Biden will have to swing the debate to unscripted and see who she really is. I still don’t know much about her, because she basically read an Obama bashing essay last night.

Jack,

37,000,000 watched Gov Palin last night and as a Obama supporter I could not be happier! We’ve gotten to know Sen. Obama these last few years and some person I never met attacking him, just didn’t feel right. I’m going to steal a idea from Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com

If there’s a certain Italian restaurant that you’ve been going to for years, and some stranger stops you on the street and tells you that they don’t know how to cook their pasta, you’re going to think that the stranger is a kook — not that the restaurant is poor.

Clearly when you insult more people in your introductory speech everyone from barrack obamas wife to the community orginizers in the United States. You destroy any chances of helping John McCain, Republicans, and people of the bubble deciding who to vote for. Maybe she doesnt realize there are community orginizers in every community not just chicago.

she will help McCain with clintons voters and young as well has the olderly. she is strong like McCain. good luck with all. we were democ. until now. we will vote republican this year. we do need changes.

She sure does. She’s rallied the Republican base & shook up the Dems. By the way we keep hearing about what would happen if something happened to McCain…..God forbid Obama wins & something happens to Biden. Obama could always vote present.

She definitely hurts John McCain’s campaign. Her speech and behavior can best be characterized by how she described herself, as a “pit bull in lipstick”, and we all know the term for a female dog…

No, Palin hasn’t hurt McCain. Anyone voting for this ticket is happy with the country in the state it is currently in. There is no change in this ticket. Except that one of the candidates is a female and not a male. If anything she has helped McCain because now Obama and Biden will not be able to call her out on anything without her pulling out the sex card. Obama and Biden should take the stance of, I don’t hit women but I’ll hit a female pit bull. Not out of meanness but just to stand up for yourself.

If the country wants a VP whose daughter is a slut and whose future son-in-law should be charged with statutory rape, then she will help McCain.

Palin is no shrinking violet. She’s an attack dog. But the conventional wisdom is that in the general election, one should move towards the center. She moves the McCain campaign to the far right. So the obvious answer is that she is hurting the chances for McCain because of the loss of independents and soft Democrats.

So you are at her again? After yesterday, She sure isn’t going to hurt McCain, but I am not so sure of the same when it comes to Obama. By the way, her experienced is dwarfed by Biden’s…. Are you kidding me? I am more concerned about the top of the ticket -McCain’s experience dwarfing Obama’s.

Jay
Charlotte, NC

Sarah Palin is a puppet on a stage, simply reading a speech that was written for her by the Republican Washington Elite speech writers of George W. Bush. If you were watching in High Def, you could almost see the strings attached to her arms and jaw.

Why didn’t she have any substance in her talk? The Bushies don’t have any substance, and she doesn’t either. She claimed to be a support of children with special needs, but she slashed similar programs in Alaska by over 60%. So she is highly qualified to be a member of the Republican Washington Elite because she willingly says one thing but does the opposite!

She hurts him with the majority of hard working Americans.
She helps him with the affluent, wealthy base which is the GOP.

Lets face it Jack, 90% of Americans are peasants to these GOP Lords.

I am an independent which means here in California I didn’t have much to say about the primaries. I had not made up my mind who I was voting for but then McCain picked his VP. No way will I vote for him. He shot himself in the foot. If he was trying to pull in women voters then he should have picked one of several Republican women…I think there are 6 women Republican Senators. Or how about Rice. Good grief what was he thinking. It’s a joke. I am disgusted.

Jack, Palin does not only hurt McCain except for the right; she hurts the nation with her shrill and sarcastic comments about others. She scares the h___ out of me. God help us if she should become VP.

She hurts McCain, she will most likely attack the groups that helped in privatizing the war in Iraq, thus making big corporations bigger. I would like to hear one plan she has in making America better, I’m waiting and may have to wait a little longer until the main stream media gets a chance to fire back at her record.

Sacramento, CA

As an onlooker and outsider from Canada, it seems obvious that Sarah Palin can certainly strew the manure around. The problem being that McCain just doesn’t have the strength to clean it up!!!

All of these skeletons in Palln’s closet certainly couldn’t have helped McCain. It hasn’t even been a week since she was chosen, and her scandals are dominating the media.

When was the last time there was much buzz or excitement surrounding the McCain campaign? McCain’s chances of defeating Obama were slim before Palin’s addition to the ticket, her addition will only breathe new life into this long campaign and if McCain wins he can thank the Governor.

What amazes me the most about the comments here and in the media is that people are so…….quick to write off a new candidate without sitting back and waiting for more factual information to come out. We’ve had no debates, Sarah’s been in the lime light for only a week, and except for the way out of line media reports on her family, there’s been no in depth discussion of the issues yet. I’d like to see some balanced thoughtful reasoning back in this country instead of gossip and slander. Obama himself has side stepped issues. He’s yet said “how” he plans on accomplishing his agenda. And he has his own dirty laundry that for some reason the media seems to think is off limits unlike they have with Sarah Palins.

America sit back, watch the facts “hopefully” come out in the media on both parties and then make an informed decision in November rather than drawing conclusions from one 30 minute speech. Wouldn’t we all like to be treated with respect that way.

The jury is still out on what will happen in this race, but if anyone was entitled to take a few swings back in self defense last night, Sarah Palin deserved to do so after the shameful way she’s been treated in the media this past week. I give her credit. Whatever happened to fair, equal time and unbiased truthful journalism coverage in America? It’s a disgrace to our country while the whole world is watching.

Hurt! I couldn’t thank her enough. I was on the fence and her words last night galvanized my support for the democrats. I’m a small town, independent voting woman for Hillary. Governor Palin frightens me!Between Senator McCain and Governor Palin’s “shoot from the hip” style I do not want this kind of person making the kind of thoughtful decision making it takes to run our country. Republicans stay at the hockey rink!!!!

She hurts McCain. Bottom line, why this whole game is phony. If Palin decided to run for president on her own, McCain would be attacking her on her lack of experience, mayor of a small town and a “whoop die do” about selling a plane on Ebay. The whole thing is a joke. Ventura and Nader would have been the better choices for president.

Jack-
I know that most people who write on your blog are as liberal and as out of touch with middle America as you. But as an independent who has grown up in the midwest I believe she has defiantely helped McCain. Not only has she for once given the McCain camp more press coverage than Obama for the first time since, well ever. But she delivered a speech that finally shut up all of the liberal pundits (at least for a few minutes) about how capable a conservative woman is at running a high government job. If it was a liberal woman most of you in the media would have given her the same pass Obama has got. Now she has earned it on her own.

Sarah Palin is a gutsy gal with a gift of gab. She got lots of people’s attention last night, mine included. Time will tell whether or not she is going to help or hinder John McCain’s chances of gettng elected. When she goes head to head with Joe Biden, that I believe will be the determining factor. This is a lady who goes out and shoots a moose or a caribou when her appetite so desires. She also guts, skins and cooks the poor creature. As an animal lover, Sarah better not wait for my vote.

I don’t believe that she can hurt McCain anymore than he has hurt himself by agreeing with George Bush’s failed policies. This Republican party is a joke. They pretend as if they care for the working middle class, when in fact they only care about giving tax cuts to the wealthy “fat cats”. Sarah Palin has no chemistry with John McCain and her speech last night was a bore!….

Florida

Palin absolutely helped McCain. Prior to the conventions, the battle was Experience (McCain) vs. Change (Obama). For 4 days last week, the democrats intimated that electing McCain was like electing 4 more years of Bush – no change. By picking Palin, in one fell swoop, McCain reclaimed his ability to call himself a maverick – a proponent of change who is independent of Bush and today’s political parties in both thought and action. Now, the battle is Experience and Change (McCain) vs. just plain old Change with no experience (Obama).

Bottom line, Jack – I think she helps the McCain cause because she does energize the theocratic wing of the party and rouses up the volunteers. But I note that her polemic contra Obama did not go near any of the red-meat culture-wars issues – she wisely avoided that. I thought she gave an A+ speech – excellent delivery with lots of good memorable lines. She didn’t persuade me to vote for her ticket; but she also didn’t throw gasoline on the culture-war fires. She could be a Republican Maggie Thatcher in the making.

Jack – If you listen to Palin closely, she states that she is more qualified than both Barack AND Biden. By that measure, she would seem to indicate she is actually more qualified than McCain himself! What arrogance! (given that McCain and Biden have similar experience). I’m not sure how this will play out, but the aggressive style she has displays more of the divisive political rhetoric we heard from George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and the current administration for eight year. Look where that got us – with an economy in trouble and no freinds in the world.

Initially she’ll help McCain, but then again, so would my cat. Down the road, she’ll tun into a liability under closer srcutiny. Especially when she explains her “God & Iraq” quote, her own earmark requests, and her husband’s affiliation with that Alaskan independence Party.

There is simple reason why republicans dont get it. The economy of rural america is not hurting. Farming, Mining and War and all activities that republicans do are in full swing. Now wonder they ahve different view of america.

Ultimately, Palin seriously hurts McCain. She takes away the already weak argument of experience. Recall Hillary tried that against Obama and failed miserably. Palin proved she’s just more of the same — different look, different sound, but the same useless gimmicks. Attack, attack, attack. Lie, lie, lie. Jack, it’s all the Republicans do because it’s all they know. I mean look at the last eight years? All they had was bluff and bluster and look at the mess they created. And they have the audacity to lie and blame it on the Democrats. Gives new meaning to the phrase, “Who’s in charge here?”

As a resident of DC for 18 years I can say that Sarah Palin will help the republican base, but not much more. I am an independent turned democrat and agree with pro-life, but am against the same policies of McCain which is the real issue. Republicans have great skills in distracting Americans from real issues such as healthcare and the economy and I am sick of it. No wonder he picked Palin, the biggest distraction from the issues so far! Let’s get real Americans have been in a cloud for the past two elections, it is now time to move forward. Wake up America, go Obama!

Jack,
Just look at what you saw last night. I am a women and I was very hurt but her tone. That type of tone wil hurt us all.

Leslie

Dear Jack,

I think (and hope!) that Palin’s speech will hurt McCain more than help. After all, Sen. McCain has ZERO executive experience if you measure experience Sarah’s way! It sounds like of the four nominees she is the one with the most experience.

Sarah Palin will energize the hard left against McCain and the republican base for him. Her speech was very devisive. I think she will prove to appeal to independents like myself who are sick and tired of politics as usual and our representatives in Washington (on both sides of the aisle) spending most of their time there working to get re-elected instead of doing the business of the people. I think she shatters that mold and that is making a lot of people nervous.

I believe that our elected officials should PASSIONATELY love this country. Obama had my attention, but lost me when he initially said he could could not denounce Rev. Wright for his intensely anti-american comments. I could have denounced anyone I know if they made those comments about my country and I expect no less out of the highest elected official in this great nation.

I think Sarah Palin is real and I think she truly has the best interest of this country tops on her priority list. She will be a difference maker in this election.

I’m sure you noticed Gov. Palin did everything everyone thought she would….say a whole lot of nothing and not backup anything all while parading her “off limits” family around the stage. Last time i checked the image of a Pitbull wasn’t a positive one. If i sell a plane on ebay will you vote for me for VP?

She will help with the base and with anyone who goes strictly on “gut feel”. The campaign will not let a real reporter get anywhere near Governer Palin. Her only exposure will be at the VP debate and she probably can be adequately prepared for that. Face it, the Republicans are master at playing a bad hand well.

Harvey
Ontario, Canada

I was a devoted Hillary supporter and I haven’t been able to bring myself to back Obama due to his vague lack of substance speeches. After hearing Sarah Palin’s speech last night I will vote for the Mccain/Palin ticket. She is a strong, smart, and I find myself drawn to her. We need an outsider to come to Washington to shake things up!

I just gave Barack more money. I am petrified that, if elected, this woman is just a heartbeat away from the presidency. She has tried to censor library books, supports the teaching of creationism in schools, and is planning to sue the government for putting polar bears on the endangered species list. Since she and her husband are avid bear hunters, I guess they want to keep shooting them, endangered or not. I cannot believe that McCain believes women would vote for that extremist just because of her gender, it just shows how sexist he is and it hurts him with independent women. And now she’s claiming that it was only her husband who was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, when the party records show she was a member from 1994-1996. This woman doesn’t even want to be an American; and she’s running for vice president?

I liked McCain until he picked her.

Jack, She hurts McCain and the country. Hearing Mrs Palen jogs my memories of him belittling the educated and any “pointy headed” elitists. I sure hope our country has matured a bit since those old rabble rousing days.

Yes, the palin pick hurts mccain. I have personally found that no one knows who the heck she is, and that when I try to explain who she is people laugh and wonder what does he actually seek to accomplish by picking her. Todays voters don’t care to know too much detail, and her details are contradictory. Instant conversation turn off.

I’m still contemplating that Pit Bull with lipstick imagery. Pretty offensive to Pit Bulls!

Sarah has helped John McCain’s chances incredibly and will continue to do so. I have been incredibly happy with her performance as governor of my state, and am convinced that she will be successful as Vice President, though I will be sorry to see her leave Alaska politics. She is tough and unafraid to stand up for the right thing!

Before Palin was on the ticket, I was on the verge of selecting a doomed 3rd party candidate because I didn’t like Obama and was unconvinced regarding McCain. Although she is a social conservative and I am socially liberal, she has helped McCain to capture this fringe voter, as well as other fringe voters I know.

Jack,

I don’t think she hurts McCain, but she doesn’t help him much either. People who are in love with Palin were obviously going to vote for McCain anyway. People who are more thoughtful won’t be drawn in by his or Palin’s bluster and name calling.

Jack,

Have you forgotten your own words? “Republicans are Irrelevant”

That being said, McCain’s choice of Palin was nothing more than a “Politics First” choice. My guess it it will deliver plenty of press coverage, but at the end of the day, people will see through this Republican gimmick and will get back to the business of “Change” for the United States which is so desperately needed.

God bless America.

Jack, Sarah Palin ripped the democrats a new one with her speech. She’ll chew Biden up in the debates as she and McCain sail into the White House.

I am torn between laughing and wanting to throw up! All I can do is go with my first instinct when this whole charade started. Sarah Palin has doomed the Republican ticket!
Praise the Lord!!!
My issue is with how the media is fawning all over this token.
Please, SOMEBODY! expose this farce! Don’t let them get away with it AGAIN!

Hi Jack,

I think she will help by rallying the republican base, which we can already see. But I do think at the same time she hurts him with the rest of America that has common sense and sees this for what it really is…. a political gimmick.

I think there’s a reason the focus has been on who she is and not what she can contribute to the presidency. She’s not going to be able debate intelligently about too many issues for it to be good for McCain in the long run.

What’s the difference between a hockey-mom and a vice-presidential candidate? Not much, evidently. Columbus, Ohio

It hurts him because: One, she gives a better speech than McCain
Two, she did not even touch on the important issues that affect the people of this country. All I saw last night was hate, hate, hate. When is the GOP going to realize that this kind of vile and hate-mongering type of rhetoric is worthless. The American people are smarter than this. We need real change, not more of the same negative politics. McCain can’t win if they do not address the issues, and his campaign has not shown any indication that they can do so.

I think she will help him in the very short term, as she will energize the core conservative base. However, peel this onion only one layer back (there’s not much depth there) and her true colors will be exposed. She is completely out of step with the majority of the American public, and she will completely turn off moderate Republicans and independents, and she will also thoroughly rally the Democrats for Obama. McCain made a poor choice.

Her speech and others last night left me feeling like I was back listening to Bush and Cheney from previous conventions. All the markings of the worst in human behavior! Shameful. This is one older white guy who is counting on the new Americans to lift this country out of the repuglican muck and toward a better future!

Gov. Palin has already energized McCain’s campaign, however, if she continues her “attack dog” attitude, many of McCain’s supporters may tire of that quickly. It behooves me how Palin could criticize Obama when it appears she doesn’t know much about him. After all, it was Obama who practically came to Palin’s rescue when questioned about whether her family should be considered in voters deciding if she is competent to run the country.

I absolutely believe that she will hurt not only McCain, but this country. First, she doesn’t even know the appropriate language to use when talking about individuals with disabilities although she has a child with a disability herself. She has indicated that she has a “special needs child”…unacceptable… is she really defining her child like this. Additionally, she is all about big oil and drilling in Alaska. Is it possible that the American people don’t see this? I don’t think being a PTA mom represents the views of the American people.

I do not think that she will hurt McCain at all, matter of fact she will help him with republicans who doubt it the 72 years old. However, she will not help him either. She will not help with independent voters and women as people might hope for. I hope that now it is fair game to attack her now; however, republicans are on the defensive and call people sexist each time she’ll be attacked. But it is find for her to throw jabs at everyone, even at Michelle Obama. I thought family was off limit?

Hi Jack’
I think Mrs. Palin hurt JOHN McCAIN because she does not know what she is talking about. And do McCain think the Clinton supporters are going to support her? Remember the Democrates want them (Reps) out of the White house, you got that?
Anel.

I think most of the Hillary voters are being turned off,
she is another Bush in a dress. She is firmly in the
Religious Right camp.

The switch vote are the independents and the independents
do not want the same 8 years all over again.

McCain picking Palin is pandering to the Right
which is the same thing Bush did, so where is the change?

this was not a speech it was a reading – this was a really ugly event old white guys chanting and screaming – and she was leading them on. There is no way she could have written this little ditty – this is pure Bush/Rove.

Most commentators have mentioned her focus on energy policy but let’s be honest, her focus is on oil and drilling. She did mention clean coal, as a soundbite, but never mentioned conservation or addressing our demand issues, which must be resolved in order to create viable long-term solutions. “Drill, baby, drill” only digs future generations of Americans into a bigger hole. I wish we could bring the debate back to issues like energy,conservation and the economy, rather than morals, family values, and snow machine racing, and as a female who has voted both Rebulican and Democrat, her negative, lightweight speech galvanized me to support Obama-Biden.

Ashburn, VA

Disappointing to see comments from Democrats calling Republicans stupid, unenlightened people. I’m Republican and have a law degree. Finished in the top 15% of my law school. Didn’t think I was dumb. But, hey, I learn something new everyday.

To answer one question posed by a person: the Republicans will stop playing the culture wars the same day the Democrats stop playing the class wars. Fact is, both parties use divisive language and pit certain groups of Americans against each other. And they wonder why we are divided?? At least that is the thought of this unenlightened Republican. I wish I was as smart as a Democrat. Maybe someday.

Jack,
It is so simple. As someone who has lost job, one month away from losing my house, my husband being summoned to court for unpaid medical bills, even though we did have insurance, mounting bills, probably leaves me one option, Bankruptcy, well, I have got some news flash for McSAME and Palin – you have just lost my vote to Obama.
someone please tell her about the 444,000 jobless claims in the news today and tell us how she will get us out of the big hole her party has dug for 8 years.
By the way where is Dick Cheney?

Yes, she will hurt him. I think she came off as rather “cocky” last night. Not self-assured, but “cocky” for someone that has 0 experience with foreign policy, not to mention other issues. She may have thought that she came out “firing” but I can tell you right now, she will NOT get many of Hillary’s supporters with that very “cocky” attitude.
I am a “Hillary” Clinton supporter and my family and I will be voting for Barrack Obama in November. We are going to honor Hilliary’s request to support Senator Obama. With the choice that John McCain has made “on top of” John McCain being on the ticket, Barrack Obama definitely has our votes. And by the way the constant mentioning of her beint a “Hockey Mom” is getting very old. She cannot even began to “touch” Senator Obama.

I honestly believe that once the convention is over and the lights are turned off, she will NOT help McCain. Americans are sick and tired of the continual deterioration of over country and it’s reputation over the last 8 years and pretty soon we will all realize that the one person she didn’t attack and mock in her speech last night was George W. Bush.

McCain didn’t pick Palin on his own. McCain was told to pick Palin. She will pull in the the extreme social conservatives that McCain is having a problem with. She is exactly what these people drool over. A five time mother (with a Downs Syndrome baby to boot) and a pregnant teen daughter who will be keeping the baby and get married. The only thing that would make her more perfect is if her daughter had been raped and she was going to push for parental rights for the rapist.

Aw, Jack, c’mon now. Ms. Palin is obviously a poised, aggressive young woman, and probably an excellent governor, but this is a no brainer. I don’t want her hand anywhere near the phone that rings at 3 am.

I am a Democrat who considered voting for McCain, but after Palin’s appearance I better not vote for this ticket. Palin’s lacks of integrity, is only match by her loud mouth. She apparently talks from both sides of her mouth, saying she said no to the bridge project but took the money anyway. The fact that her highschool daughter is pregnant shows how the policies of abstenism fires back when girls are left ignorant of how to protect themselves both mentally and physically from overbearing boyfriends,.

She has a pretty good bark, but I can’t get over the fact that now that they have looted the federal treasury and got us tied down in a trillion dollar quagmire in the Middle East how it is that the Republicans are trying to say they learned their lesson and are ready to abandon the elderly and the poor with cost cutting measures.

Same old wine in a brand new bottle.

Dennis
Sacramento, CA

Palin,

Does not seem to have a voice of her own…it was clear that the speech was written to serve the narrow political purpose…waht about the real issues that face America….yes she is charismatic and her delivery was brilliant, but I don’t get caught up in the hype…what about the average college garduate like me with student loans, two kids, and no medical insurance.

I wish I had the time or resources to be a Hockey Dad…at thispoint I am hoping my vehicle holds up until next year….get real Palin…what are your thoughts not someone else words!

Right now I see the emotional connection but we Americans are no fools…where is the substance…..I do see it coming in 60 days.

Palin helps McCain as she seems to connect more with the average American than McCain himself, fairly or not. Apparently many Americans see themselves and their families in Palin, which for some reason is important to them.

This presidential race has already shown us, the public and the world that we are becoming of age. We have realized that we can work will all races and religions for the needs of others.

As for Mrs. Palin; she has the wit, but feel she lacks the firmness to amply serve the country.

She hurts and helps – depends on who you talk to. Can someone answer this question for me? How come her daughter’s boyfriend isn’t in jail. Last I heard when an 18 year old has sex with a 17 year old, that’s statutory rape. The hypocrisy of all of this is stifling.

I absolutely think the 95% white Iowa voters should continue to support Obama; Iowa sets the standard for education in America and that is a key issue for Obama; in regard to Palin, I thought her speech in some places was extremely condescending. Especially when she smirkingly referred to Obama’s work with Community Organization Groups which apparently she is unaware are groups that are formed on the poorest neighborhoods in America to assist those residing there to establish grass-root programs that will assist in lifing them out of poverty, hunger and improve as best possible their quality of life. I think this alone shows again how out of touch Republicans and especially Palin are with the Americans who need help to most. Obama gets it!!! Why be catty and smart-alecky about it; bad reflection on women.

I watched it with my teenage kids. Unlike Obama’s speech, there was nothing inspiring or uplifting but rather, it was full of venomous attacks.
I’m off the fence.

I make these comments as a democrat.

Palin helps McCain at the moment. Really, with the momentum that Obama had coming out of the democratic convention, he needed to do something like this to have any chance at all. If he had picked someone like Rommney, or Guiliani, would the GOP have any chance of victory in Nov? I doubt it. At least now, Palin is causing some fire, and is energizing a republican base.

That being said, ultimately I do not think she will help McCain win in the long run. Because of what she is….a hard-core right wing republican. She can engerize the GOP base, securing the evangelical vote, and NRA vote. But really, you can’t win in Nov without a significant vote from moderates and Palin will scare them away.

She seems to have gotten a lot of attention. At least in the halls of the RNC. I don’t think she will be so popular outside of her and McCain’s territory. This is the Republicans week , but when the dust settles and she has to debate and answer questions from the press, I think she will be in over her head.
In my opinion, she was condescending and arrogant. A lot of women I work with had the same opinion.
Geez… Just what the White house needs… a war enthusiast for president and a pit-bull with lip stick for VP.

Like the majority of the other’s here, I too was disappointed in her attack-dog stance last night. I have been an Obama supporter from the beginning, but wanted to hear her out to see if there could be another choice. She firmly planted me in the Obama camp with the speech she made last night. As an American, I DO NOT want this woman to represent me – In or Out of the County!! What I am really waiting for now is to see how she handles the tough questions with out a script. I am proud of the stance Biden took on not “attacking her”, even though she surely deserves it after last night. That goes ever further to convince me that my “Obama 08″ sticker will stay on my car.
v.

I don’t like mean people and she IS mean. Anyone who can track wild animals in a plane/helicopter, shoot once they are disabled by exhaustion and call it “sport” is seriously missing a compassion gene. We don’t need any more emotionally defective people in the White House.

Palin showed that she is good at insults and bad at showing how the republicans can heal the country and move forward on policy issues.

Why are the CNN reporters now drooling all over her. Let’s get the reporters back to asking tough questions about issues and qualifications. That should shut Palin up pretty quickly.

Palin is a Republican pawn. Any smart woman would recognize this…apparantly she doesn’t mind and is putting her career before her large/special needs family! She is allowing the McCain Campaign use her and her family to get Clinton votes and/or make up for his age problem!?! She hardly represents the “hockey moms” I know… get real!! A pit bull with lipstick…jeez…how out of touch can she be? Any reasonable person – man OR woman – with her family issues would of put their family first and passed on this job offer!

Watched from north of the border here in Canada. Wow, anyone who supports THAT really needs a long, hard look in the mirror. So negative, so divisive, so scary. Actually, embarrassed for you. Oooops, probably just brought Canada into the evil empire with that commentary.

McCain chose Palin cos she will be a good candidate for vote pulling but not a good candidate for VP and a future President. If this happens, Today America is a land of opportunity tomorrow it will become a Land of opportunists.

Palin helps McCain for now; but remember she has not been tested. She has to go through the fire, just as Obama and McCain has…no free rides here. I willing to bet my last gallon of gasoline, there is lot of dirt under that rug.

Jack,
Any student of law or government knows the basic founding principles of our nation: by ignoring the fundamental rights of the few, is to ignore the fundamental rights of ALL. This practice is what leads to disorder and dictatorships.
McCain and Palin are with Bush ignoring these fundamental rights for whom the government chooses and they support torture. Unacceptable and not change…
Disaster!

She hurts McCain and all Americans. Pit bull? I agree but I am embarassed for her and that silly convention that is going on in the twin cities. The world is watching this stupidity not to mention the lack of diversity of the audience on the convention floor. Do they really believe that the represent the interests of the American people? I have to agree with the Obama campaign. They just don’t get it.

Jack,

Sarah is quite the student but clearly a puppet. That she’s energized this sleepy, bushy party is indeed scary. The fact remains the McCain is oldish and to have someone like her as the President in waiting is stupid and embarrassing for our country.

Jack,
From way up here in Canada where politics are so different, it struck me how ridiculous this woman was. While I wasn’t necessarily a HRC fan, there was no doubt in my mind she could step in and be president with her eyes shut. With Sarah Palin, I would think that if she had to be President, people would step back and shut their eyes!

It sure makes for interesting TV here in Canada.

Americans – The world is watching! Let us display that we know the difference between the geographic reach and impact of the laws and decisions made by a United States Senator and a state Governor – especially from a tiny state.

Alaskan governor Sarah Palin’s remarks were not only an insult to U.S. Senator Barack Obama but they should be regarded as an insult to all United States Senators – and, to the American public in general.

She spoke as though Americans do not know that each decision made by a U.S. Senator has at least 50 times the impact of any decision she can ever make as governor of one state.

And, please correct those who refer to her as “Senator Palin”. We are not a country of uneducated people. Let’s not take these insults lightly.

The only thing tha Sarah apparently needs to do, according to Biden and the rest of the Democrats, is to say the words Economy, Unemployment, Healthcare, and Energy Crisis. Not doing so seems to be the only thing the democrats cling to. They say all those words, but offer absolutely no plan other than to say they will do something about it. Palin showed that she is energy conscious. She showed an awareness of foreign policy as relates to energy, and she outlined what can and should be done to begin to solve the energy crisis. She offered more in her one speech than Obama has offered in a couple years of politicing. She also showed, just by having experience in this one area, that she has more executive know-how than either Biden or Obama. My question for Obama supporters to answer, and one you, Mr. Cafferty should ask, is not how Obama will solve these issues, but how much it will cost.

Gov. Palin is a big asset for John McCain and the Rep.Party.
Young, determined, sassy, compassionate, and with a great family
Gov. Palin will run rings around Sen Bidan. I wanted Hillary to be on the ticket for the Democrats, and now I have found a new hero in Gov. Palin.

If any of these “independents” you quote liberally throughout your article were true independents, then you’d understand that BOTH candidates claim “we’re right, they’re wrong” .

I watched Obama’s speech. I watch Palin’s speech. You could have swapped their speeches and nobody would have noticed.

Jack, if you truly can’t understand the concept that both sides are playing the SAME EXACT GAME, well, I guess that means that you just haven’t been paying attention. Maybe CNN will hire me? At least I’d watch the events.

Not sure I want the VP of an elderly President with re-occurring health issues to have the nickname barracuda. Palin is divisive to Obama’s unifying, aggressive to his insightful and hypocritical to his sincere. She embodies the values of the far right and it’s interesting to me that this past week it has sounded like she’s at the top of the ticket and not McCain.

Will it help or hurt McCain? I think it was a desperate move that I don’t see doing enough to win the general. But, I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

The addition of Palin makes two running mates with precious little knowledge and little more than the inborn ability to make clever decisions on their feet — good for a campaign, disasterous for national leadership. God help us if they win.

After the announcement of Palin for VP, the republican’s race was over. It has nothing to do with what gender she is, but her lack of experience. Biden will crush her in every area of debates. I don’t see how the Republicans can even put up a fight, especially after all the information about Palin has surfaced. However, if somehow McCain/Palin win in November, I have greatly misjudged America. It would make me the most disgraced to ever be a U.S citizen. I believe the republican way of doing things can only make our country weaker.

Hello Jack,

This spread in Iowa do not suprice me at all.Am Canadian,and it was pool done in Toronto today.

The margin was 63 percent for Obama,and 16 percent for McCain ticket,even after last night speech by Governor of Alaska Ms.Palin.

I think US voters have release and they did get Mr. Obama message for economy ,energy ,taxes and so on.

I think the whole World is at Mr. Obama side this time.McCain ticket was just one empty convention for 2 days with out any substance ,except attack ,what they know best.

No just that USA need change ,the whole Word need that,and Iowa voters do release that ,with speeches from Republicans with out any idea for future.Go Iowa you are doing right thing,not just for your State but for whole World.

Ned Toronto

Sarah Palin is a repulsive, white trash gun toter and she and her buddy McWar scare the hell out of me. Anyone that reads at all, that has any brains at all will not be fooled by these two fools. Obama/Biden ‘08

Clearly, Palin can give a nice performance. And I believe that for the most part she is a great asset to McCain simply for the sake that most voters will not bother to take some time to sit down to analyze the situation and will fall victims to the same old lies and promises.
As a first time voter though, watching last night’s speeches made me wonder in what country the featured speakers have been living in for the last 8yrs? I was angered by their promises of change and their all flash but no substance speeches. As a scientist, I know how much the field is struggling due to the continuously decreasing government grants, and last night’s performance solidified my vote for Obama.

She didn’t impress me at all. I’m tired of her “compelling story”. Every American in this country has a “story” to tell. Her’s is no different. She appeared vicous and mean along with the other speakers last night. Living in the volunteer state, her comment about Obama’s work in south chicago left a very sour taste in this ole girls mouth. I switched gears and watched reruns of all things, Will and Grace.

As for these far right hard core christians who beat Jamie Lynn Spears into the ground along with her parents and now “wrapping” their arms around Palins unwed pregnant daughter…nothing but a bunch of “sunday morning chrisitians”.

Joe, you rock!

Sitting in the middle of all this, after I cut through the rhetoric, I still see two fundamental truths:

Barack Obama is a good speech giver because he demonstrates every time he speaks that he cares about issues that millions of American’s struggle with, like health care affordability, paying for kids to go to college, the housing crisis, getting us out of Iraq so we can reign in the massive government spending spree going on over there. He gives REAL answers to these problems and people can see his genuineness.

Sarah Palin showed herself to the country last night. She showed herself to be sarcastic, mocking, cynical, and negative. She provided no answers whatsoever to any issue that Americans are struggling with, except a verbatim Republican talking point about drilling for oil. It’s clear that Palin just doesn’t know about issues that matter to Americans. She advocates keeping the government spending spree in Iraq going indefinitely, keeping us dependent on fossil fuels, keeping corporate policies in places that allow them to privatize all their profits while socializing all their losses through bailouts and corporate welfare. She actively campaigned for Sen. Stevens’s “bridge to nowhere” and had the audacity to mention in her speech that now she has flip flopped and is against it (just in time, right?)
She’s the only mayor in Alaska history to hire her own Washington lobbyist to help Wassilla get as much pork barrel money as they could. She advocates an approach to sex education that has not only proven ineffective and damaging, but has affected her own daughter, who was obviously not taught responsible adult behavior.

The choice this year is clear:

Obama/Biden- “Let’s turn the corner!”

McCain/Palin- “Let’s stay the course!”

Palin: Better Seen than Heard

Although I am an Obama supporter, I have been watching and listening to both sides with an open mind. I was completely disappointed with Palin’s distortions and outright unfounded claims against their opposition.

My final opinion of Palin: I think she’s great to look at, but have little regard for what she has to say. . . I would have more interest to see her in Playboy than listen to her inaccurate political slander.

No! No!! No!!! Palin will not help MacCain in my book. I did not vote in the primary. After listening to both sides, I will be registering to vote for Barak .

The same Republican that were proposing to use God to rain on Obama parade got the disposition of GOd in their face. Beware of what you wish on others!

The same group that proclaim others as of no value turns all values, including family values upside down in their own life. Judge not so that you shall not be judged!!

What is family value if you can not support your family economically and financially…….What an hypocrit !!!

Jack I find it intereesting that you and your followers think that Pallin should set the policy of the debate before the Presidential nominee does so. Tonight it is up to Mccain to set forth what he will try to accomplish as the President and then Pallin is to support his policy. Was this not how the DNC convention was outlined. It was not until the night of Obama’s speech that any policy was outlined, and that policy clearly leads us closer to socialism than this country has ever been. When criticized on her 17 year olds pregnancy I can still hear Obama’s stricking words that when youthful girls make the mistake of pregnancy they should not be penalized with a baby. This is a sad commentary and just one of the issues that Obama is dead wrong on.
As a reporter on a national broadcast I think your opinion should be nuetral and let the people decide.

John, watching the RNC, I feel like I am watchig news reels from 1934

Governer Palin definitely helps McCain. We need someone to shake up Washington who also shows great leadership, which both McCain and Palin have demonstrated. I am looking for the next President of the United States not the next motivational speaker.

Jack – As a mother of four children (primarily a single mother most of my life), my fourth child was born with a developmental disability — he is autistic. From the very beginning life has been extermely hard. It has been a fight together with my child to suceed with some of life’s most important hurtles. Children who are born with down syndrome face even more challenges. These children have a host of health issues from their chromosonal defect. And, in the face of a teenager struggling with her identity, pregnancy and an early marriage, how could any parent decide to divert their full attention from his/her family at this cross-road in all of their lives? The tasks that lay before Sarah Palin are daunting. Yes, women should have and do it all. However, I can tell you that caring for this very sick child should be upper most on her life’s agenda. Being a VP is not a 9 to 5 job. Supporting her daughter at this difficult time in her life does not start at 5 P.M. everyday. Less, Sarah forget that! Even with nannies, her husband, family in-laws…this will not replace the time that she will take away from the care that her disabled infant and struggling daughter so desperately need! Nothing but disaster will come of her and her family! I will pray for her and this country. Especially if the Republicans win the election this year!

After last night’s convention speaches I realized of the two presidential and two vice-presidential candidates only one is qualified to be president acording to the republican speakers. That one is Sarah Palin. She is the one with execuitive experience both as a mayor and govenor. Move over John and allow this qualified candidate run for the top job.

Obama is right: America, we can do better than this.

Obama was right. They’re going to make a big election about small things.

Her speech did not help McCain. It was just sarcasm. Thanks, but no thanks, Ms. Palin.

She’s a tragedy!!

Jack,
The fact that 37 Million folks tuned in to listen to Sarah Palin speak is a plus for the McCain campaign. There will be continued interest in the near term from most voting citizen. Hopefully most voters will eventually make decisions based on McCain & Palin’s position on issues and their programs vs those of Obama & Biden. This heightened exposure and energy gives them that chance. I will pay attention.

she’s a disaster. McCain should think strongly about replacing her now while there is still time.

A better question is whether or not Palin can help the country. The answer is a resounding, “No.” The choice of her as GOP Veep was reckless and ill-considered, putting the country in potential peril. McCain has done the nation a huge disservice. He should pay the penaly for that gambit–banishment to Sonoma.

My 82 year old mother who is a lifetime Democrat and even a community organizer for her small town has just made a donation that will cover the expenses for the Republican party in her small town. She has jumped ship because of the speech of Sarah Palin and the way the Democrats dumped Hillary. She is now a registered Republican and will cast her first vote for a Republican.

Jack,

She helps McCain in the short term by energizing the base. She hurts him in the long run because the Media will vet her since McCain would or could not.

Jack,the same 28% that stubbornly supports G W Bush after 8 years of PROVEN FAILURE will support Sarah Palin to that extent she will help John McCain. I must say that I terribly dissapointed in John McCain. He seems to have morphed into nothing more than yet another Republican Rubber Stamp for the Religious Right with his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. I honestly thought John McCain would at least bring some sanity back to election campagining in the U.S.A. His choice of Sarah Palin has clearly shown that he REALLY is nothing more than an ‘empty suit’ after all.

She has absolutely helped John McCain. Most Republicans were not enthralled with a McCain candidacy…that is until the self-described “hockey-mom” came on to the scene. After hearing her speak, can anyone doubt the sincerity, tenacity and fortitude of this remarkable woman? Her coming to Washington would bring what Democrats and Republicans want….REAL CHANGE. Of course the liberal media and the left-wing of the Democratic party do not like her. She speaks in plain, no-nonsense language that most middle-class Americans, (you know, the ones that cling to their guns and religion) can relate to. I pose a question: if Obama were not an African-American, would he even be the Democratic candidate? Certainly his election was not based upon any substantial executive decisions or record of legislative experience…. that advantage would have undoubtedly went to Hillary Clinton.