Sarah Palin: Old hunting photo, new role hunting votes

By now you may have figured out -- because the magazines and online websites sure have -- that Alaska Gov. and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is surefire box office. No accident that there's so much attention paid to John McCain's No. 2.

Good or bad, she sells.

So, as our blogging colleague Elizabeth Snead points out, there she is on the Newsweek cover with editor Jon Meacham and columnist Karl Rove arguing inside about her strengths and weaknesses.

Over on her Dish Rag blog, Elizabeth has links to the articles. In this cover image, Palin has a shotgun over her shoulder, just as her father taught his daughter when they went hunting in her teens.

So since when has the hockey mom of five had time to go hunting this fall?

She hasn't.

As Newsweek honestly explains, it's a file photo from 2002, long before Palin knew such images might help with some outdoors-people votes in crucial swing states in about four weeks.

So what's next, do you think? Barack Obama in hip waders and orange hunting jacket bitterly clinging to a dead goose's neck in a bid for the small-town Pennsylvania vote?

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[Skye Leslie]

As a feminist, and although a Democrat, I was intrigued to know Sarah Palin. Although not a disappointment as a woman, she redefines disappointment as a person. Her ability to slide rhetorical knives into her opponent, enabling members of the crowds to yell out "terrorist" or "kill him, "without making any effort to quell the rise of that kind of voice - is a disappointment in her characterand integrity and speaks volumes of her failure to evolve into a 21st century human being.

[American Voter]

What's wrong with a good looking women that enjoys the outdoors and doesn't constantly bash the President or Country? Sounds pretty American to me. GO U.S.A.!!!

[Jules]

Ya, and so what? Where do people think meat comes from? Most of the Western World - or so it seems - doesn't have a clue about the North. NOT ONE STINKIN CLUE. A bunch of spoiled yuppies who can't make a connection between food in the supermarket and WHERE IT COMES FROM. In fact, hunting an animal is far more humane than they deplorable way animals are treated in slaughterhouses. Hey maybe if more Americans knew that some of their cattle farmers were feeding cows to cows. YUCK. I'll take a hunted animal over a slaugherhouse animal anyday.

People like Joy Behar on the view bitching about "shooting wolves from helicopters". She doesn't know a flippin clue about wildlife management. Would she advocate for ground troops to curb the wolf population that periodically threatens carbibou herds. No, it's more effective from a helicopter. It's called efficiency. Or her comments about polar bears. MOST OF THE POLAR BEARS ARE IN CANADA (60%) with the remaining in other Northern Countries including Alaska. THERE IS NO THREAT OF EXTINCTION. Grab a clue. People should do their research and get informed. But wait, no, their too damn lazy.

It's no wonder Todd Palin was a member of the Alaska Independent Party. (A none active member.) Alaska is more like Western and Northern Canada than any other State. Northern people are strong. The lily-livered can't relate to that. No offence to ENLIGHTENED AMERICANS. And those Americans who get up off their butts every day and WORK HARD and don't have the time to sit around and bitch about things they know squat about.

YOU GO SARAH!

[On a Pigs Wing]

If it is true that at Sarah Palins rallies people are yelling out "Kill Obama" , Then the Republicans have begun the single most disgusting campaign in American history.

Sarah Palin should be held complicit if anything were to happen to Sen. Obama.

The Republicans are just disgusting.

[Jules]

Apologies for my pathetic spelling and grammar errors. Just a tad hot under the Northern collar!

[salope62]

Oh boy. #1. Polar bears are on the endangered species list. Maybe has nothing to do with Alaskan politics, but the fact is the glaciers are melting and the polar bears territory is becoming terribly limited. Has nothing to do with the campaign.

#2. How many actual animals has Palin, herself, actually shot and killed HERSELF. Has she field dressed and brought those kills back on her own? Oh yeah, all we have is a photo-op and her claims to be a hunter. I buy grocery store meat; I've also hunted, field dressed, butchered and cooked the animal I've killed. So what, I'm better than most Safeway customer. I seriously doubt Gov. Palin has been an active, seasonal hunter. Maybe she shot at something once or many times. I'd bet some guy(s) were there with her to do the nasty work. Somebody should ask her about that.

#3. Shooting wolves from a helicopter. Wow, how is that hunting? Sounds a bit like thinning to me. And are you suggesting that Palin actually eats wolf meat?

You guys will make up anything to make those high heels and red lipstick sound good.