Republican National Convention discussion thread!

The Republican National Convention is underway in full force in St. Paul. If you can't make it to Minnesota, then share your thoughts about John McCain and Sarah Palin right here!

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his vice presidential running mate, Alaska Gov., Sarah Palin, acknowledge the cheers of supporters during a campaign rally in O'Fallon, Mo., Sunday Aug. 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Comments

[Franky]

How fitting that this thread is empty, just like the Republican morals.

[mmga]

I am not happy with John McCain's decision to select Gov Palin, finding it glibly considered, arrogant, myopic, selfish and insulting...and he almost had my vote, so I am his target moderate, otherwise independent woman voter. I am now officially off the fence...and pushed into the Obama camp by this inept decision. Thank you, I was uncharacteristically undecided and it feels good to be grounded. There is nothing at this point McCain can do to right this wrong...he has displayed his judgment and motivation and that was my surprise, more than the choice of Palin.

Aside from all that....No matter how Sara turns out in our viewfinders ultimately, I would like to launch a discussion I have not heard from anyone yet.

So join me.....If we can all separate ourselves from the candidates, the parties, our likes and dislikes in the personalities for a moment, the most frightening issue within this situation is that it is possible for one man to foist his choice and the potential next president upon a nation by keeping his "own best counsel"...himself. THAT SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. The fact that a presumptive nominee reveals the choice kept under wraps until the last possible minute leaves no time for protest or vetting by delegates and the collective better judgment...and his party is forced to support and buoy up the decision with any possible tactic available...or lose the election. There is simply too much to lose to disagree.

I propose a reform of the election process that requires the selection of the VP to be a consideration by the delegates at the convention, that by the end of the convention the VP is decided through the convention process. It is not a party for the party. After a panel of top qualified nominees is presented, the Presidential candidate would negotiate and decide and finally announce his/her decision....but from a pool of prequalified individuals. The VP position should not be an appointed one. It would make for a more interesting convention....

The petition starts now.

[Jeff Reding]

I tried real hard to watch the Convention coverage last night but got really sick of the lies and distortions really fast. I'm sick of the Republicans claiming that Obama's policies will cause massive deficits (the current record budget deficits were caused by an out-of-control Republican congress that rubber stamped everything the Bush administration put in their path), out-of-control taxes (the Republicans are guilty of the largest tax cuts ever, dwarfing Ronald Reagan's budget-busting cuts in the 80s) and the over-the-top praise of McCain's POW experience. I'm sorry, but the reason he even WAS a POW in Viet Nam is because he participated in the bombing of villages and innocent people, including women and children. I am in no way denigrating his courage and honour while he was a POW, but I'm sorry, his experiences in Viet Nam in no way qualify him to be president, particularly in light of the distortions and denigrations that John Kerry suffered at the hands of the Swift Boat crowd after his exemplary war record where his heroism was never in question. And then there was the Bush speech. Here's a guy who, along with the attack dog in chief, Karl Rove, participated in the Republican trait of politics of destruction when he faced McCain in 2000 is suddenly praising him? Please. And how can McCain even get into bed with Rove now after his rancourous past? And yet the public seems to be swallowing this swill lock, stock and barrel. And then there's the Palin pick. On one hand I like her - she's intelligent and she gives a great speech (just like Obama), but a great speech doesn't make her qualified any more than the Republicans say Obama is qualified. And every day something new comes out about her past (or present) - husband's DUI convictions, husband's participation in an organisation that advocated seceding from the Union, pregnant teen daughter when Palin advocates abstinence-only sex education, Palin's admission of using marijuana (the Republicans trashed Clinton for that), the controversy over her apparent firing of government officials in what seems to have been a politically motivated move, her being for massive earmarks before she was against them, her being for the infamous 'bridge-to-nowhere' before she was against it .... how much more are we going to learn about her before this is all over? If the Democrats had nominated someone whose kids are named Track, Trig (Van Palin after Van Halen!!!), Bristol, Willow and Piper, the Republicans would have had a field day with that. This election cycle is plagued with the most hypocritical doublespeak I have ever seen in a political election.

[Ben Adams]

According to the poet, philosopher, educator, Sharon Esther Lampert, http://www.philosopherqueen.com, the only winner is Osama bin Laden, and I quote:

Osama Bin Laden: Your Own Power is His Greatest Weapon

Osama has only one goal in mine, to destroy the economic power of the U.S.A. For him, the World Trade Center represented the epicenter of economic power in the U.S.A.

Osama bin Laden's main weapon is using your own power against you.
He used your own airplanes to destroy the World Trade Center, and punch a hole in the Pentagon.

In September 11th, 2001, there were 3000 dead Americans (mere collateral damage).

In 2008, there are 7000 dead Americans and 30,000 wounded Americans (more collateral damage).

Chorus:
Osama bin Laden is alive and well. He is sitting in his cave and laughing.
One-trillion-dollar deficit, two-trillion-dollar deficit... three-trillion-dollar deficit... He wants to destroy the economic power of the U.S.A.

Osama bin Laden uses your own power against you: Bush and McCain.

Osama bin Laden doesn't count dead Americans, because all they represent to him is collateral damage.

Paradoxically, America thinks she is safer because in the past seven years, there have been no terrorist threats on her soil. Raping a woman is not really about the sex, it is about dominance and control. Terrorism is not really about more dead Americans, it is about destroying America's economic power.

Paradoxically, Osama bin Laden has no interest in terrorist activity unless it furthers his goal of destroying America's economic power.

Chorus:
Osama bin Laden is alive and well. He is sitting in his cave and laughing.
One-trillion-dollar deficit, two-trillion-dollar deficit... three-trillion-dollar deficit... He wants to destroy the economic power of the U.S.A., and he is winning his war on America by using your own power against you.

Osama bin Laden counts dollars, the trillion-dollar deficit, and not dead Americans; and the fact that new superpowers are emerging, aka China, because they are prospering from America's economic demise. America has to suck on the breast of China's mother's milk to stay afloat to pay for Arab oil. America built her superpower status on the bloody backs of the European world wars.

The Republicans McCain and Palin are going to push the U.S.A. further back into the dark ages: Iraq War, Abortion Rights, and Black-Market Science.

Bush, McCain and Palin, Obama and Biden and all of the presidents advisors are clueless.

Osama bin Laden brought America to her economic knees. He won.

[Uncle_Vito]

I open the LA Times this morning and the entire paper is jabs against the Republicans, McCain and Palin.

The Republicans must really have the liberal media running scared. The minute Palin was selected as a VP candidate, the media fell all over themselves trying to dig up dirt on her.

One thing the media does not understand, especially here in California, is that the election will be determined by voting in the flyover states. The red states that can easily see the unfairness of the media. Just as media wonks such as Michael Moore helped defeat John Kerry, the liberal media are going to help defeat Obama.

I am going to enjoy this election.

Vito

[Clark]

What worries me most about McCain/Palin ticket is their environmental policy (especially regarding drilling in the ANWR). I think it is evermore important for us, as consumers to support ‘green businesses’ that benefit the environment. For example, http://www.simplestop.net stops your postal junk mail and benefits the environment.

[Nan]

I am sick and tired of McCain bashing the media for their response to
Sarah Palin. Maybe he should learn how to use a computer and read
his blogs. The American people are concerned about his judgement and rightfully so. He is placing the country in jeopardy by having someone so inexperienced a heartbeat away from the presidency. Can you imagine what they would be saying if the Dems had done that? This woman has no foreign policy experience. She has no thorough knowledge of the law (a journalism major). She has poor judgment (putting her baby's life at risk while taking an eight hour flight in labor if that is true). If that isn't true and it is her daughter's baby, she is a fraud. Now they have to tutor her before she gives her speech.
Barack and Joe Biden need no tutoring.
It is a joke that they put the country first when they can jeaporidize it by putting someone like that in office.

[sdk]

Yeah, the primary process is broken, too, when of the two top candidates it produces, neither has much elective experience. In fact, one was only elected to one office in her life, the other elected to national office less than two years before starting a run for president. We probably ought to debate the benefits of going back to the smoke filled rooms.

[D Malone]

WAS OBAMA VETTED????

[alessandro biglioli]

What we foreigners don't really understand is how in the world you americans chose a president touting his "everyman" qualities or, let's be realistic, "mediocrity" as a virtue, Bush in 04 run on "who would you have a beer with?". The Us presidency is a job that needs higly qualified people not everyday men, needs people that have education and grades and experience at the top level, because simply this is the way it is in the rest of the world, only the best of the best become head of state (except in monarchies and ereditarian dictatorships) and with globalization there will be a lot of meetings and in those meetings the everyday man will basically be eaten alive or treated like an "idiot savant", a dumb guy with a big stick, because this is what the Us presidency looks like from abroad now.
Would you chose your neurosurgeon, your CEO, even your contractor on how pleasant he is or on qualifications?
your president simply has too much power to be an "average person" the issues today are simply too complex for an "average person", you need someone that has gone to the best schools and excelled there, not someone with a bachelor degree from the middle of nowhere that had average grades, otherwise you will get average results, which in today's world simply don't cut. So you either diminish the power of the president (like in many democratic countries) or chose highly qualified people. I think the ideal would be someone who made it to the top but starting from the bottom, embodying the american dream, I won't take sides but you can by yourself see which candidate fits the mold.

[John]

The left wing bias in the mass media continues. US Magazine had Obama on their cover two issues ago, with the story about why he loves his dear wife so much. Now, they dedicate their cover to the "scandal" of a teenage pregnancy in the Palin family. The American public, in an effort to make up their own minds, will need to dig deeper than the tired liberal rhetoric would normally allow. This very newpaper has adorned their front page with a romantasized paint portrait of Barack Omama, but no such flattering visage of John McCain. Some things never change.

[Pete]

Once again, just like almost every single day, the GOP, party of phoney morals and harsh judgment, gets a tast of reality.

Again, they shoot the messanger.

[Francisco Rodriguez]

Has there ever been a greater turncoat opportunist in American politics that Joe Lieberman?

[MB]

Gee thanks MMGA. One can only wonder how you were put upon this Earth so long after the founding fathers developed the constitution of our repuclic, and how we managed to exist so long wtihout your input.

VP choosen at the convention....how did Thomas Jefferson miss that one.

I like Palin for one main reason....she sounds like Sallie Fields...I always liked her. Not as much as Mary Tyler Moore mind you.....but still...very cute.

[Wendy]

As a Republican I have questions myself. I don't want to see this woman read a canned speech. I want to see her face the press and the public and answer some hard questions. How she responds and handles herself in that situation will go a long way in my deciding whether or not to vote for McCain.

[Oscar Amaro]

When the GOP complains about the so-called "liberal media", what they are referring to is anyone in the news business who questions, disagrees with, or rebukes a Republican.

[chris]

if you truly want what is best for our children, our troops and America, then there is no other choice but to vote for Senator Clinton on November 4th (WriteHillaryIn.com)

[chris]

this thread is almost as empty as the obama lemmings' so-called intelligence......they chose a surefire loser over an internationally respected and nationally experienced leader who was fighting for the best interests of families since before obama was born!

[Dr. Rude]

Hypocracy at its ultimate level is what the Republican Party stands for. Had Bristol been one of the Democrat's kid, they would be having a field day with the story and the Evangelicals would be having 24 hour prayer meeting to rid the country of such immorality. I guess that goes to tell us that we can stand the smell of our own S..., but not others.

[getting old]

The "liberal media" didn't get Bristol pregnant. She did that with her boyfriend. Sarah Palin and John McCain made a calculated decision not to release that information when announcing her as the VP pick. Now it's the "liberal media's" fault that information that can have an effect on a voter and that person's choice has been made available to the public. If they are chanting "tell the truth" at the RNC then stop the blame and take some responsiblity. It would be a nice change.

[Carol Meyer]

Are the Republicans kidding? First, they choose a person that is totally questionable in their record, decision making and experience. Then, when the debate goes into the media/blogs, they complain that it's being debated.

Then, today they go for a photo op with the poor guy that's being forced to marry the daughter. Again, want it both ways.

Wow, they really must be nervous and hopefully, they should be.

Barack "n roll
Carol

[Peter Cavanaugh]

Vice-Pretender Palin?

John McCain hasn't chosen a successor.

He's wearing an accessory.

[scott]

I think the liberal media has been had. The selection of Palin was such a surprise that all outlets made a dash to dig up something controversial. The most they could come up with was some issue with a state trooper and that her daughter is pregnant. Oh, the discussion of "experience" is quite amusing given the Democrat's nominee. CNN, MSNBC, et. al. spent most of Saturday thru Tuesday bashing the woman and her family interrupted only by Gustav coverage. Even then, the media had problems looking for controversy with Gustav so they turned back to Palin. An here is how you have been "punked". You over did yourself. Everyone now knows the "dark secret" of the daughter's pregnancy as if that really matters. If Palin was a democrat, you'd be wondering why the mother didn't force an abortion. There is a backlash that comes with such attacks and that will be a Mcain presidency.

[John Quick]

Given that the McCain campaign lied about the "FBI background check" on Palin [the FBI isn't in the business of giving partisan help, and has confirmed that it hasn't been involved here], why should we believe anything that the campaign says about the vetting procedure?

And if they're being so mendacious on this one subject - is there any reason to believe what they say on any subject?

[Cathy O'Dell]

Consider this: Sarah Palin does not exercise good judgment in her own life. She got pregnant at an advanced childbearing age, which resulted in the predictable outcome of a Down's Syndrome baby. Then, due to poor parenting skills, her 17-year-old daughter participates in risky sexual behavior and ends up pregnant. And this woman is what the Republicans want as a Vice President? I cannot envision her in the White House. No way!