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Hey Stevie,
I am certainly guilty of procrastination. Please forgive me for taking so long to drop you a line (well, in fact we have never met before, chatted via Email, text messaged, or corresponded via carrier pigeon). I figured I would take the opportunity to provide some objurgatory talking points for Governor Palin, prior to the debate with that hoddypeak from Delaware. The last thing we desire is for Governor Palin to laocoon her way through the foreign policy portion of the debate Thursday evening.
Steve, You might be surprised to learn that we have much in common. I loved the movie Twins, you helped to re-elect the films male lead as Governor of California, many years after the release. You deny working for Mr. Rove, I have never worked for him. You have removed the New York Times from your mailing list, I have never been on a mailing list. I have studied Governor Palin for the last 12 months, you studied her for 12 hours. Can you not sense the karma?
Now that I have established our kismet, let me share the above-mentioned talking points. I’ll CC’ Charlie and Rick, as I know they have been looking for tasks to keep themselves occupied, since you took over the campaign operations. Do not worry, I do not expect immediate reward, just keep me in mind on November 5th when you go to work for one of DC’s finest social networking firms. I am not much of a lobbyist, but I adore chit-chatting with elected officials over wine and couscous on Friday evenings.
Now seriously, I noticed that prior to the recent economic crisis, foreign policy discussion and debate seemed to have removed itself from the campaign trail. In fact, the only mention of foreign policy occurred when ogrous members of the Democratic party and MSM attacked Governor Palin’s experience.
Although I support the arguments made by the campaign to defend Governor Palin, specific to Alaska’s proximity to Russia (ANG first response and understanding the regional issue, both defense and trade related), there are many more effective arguments to utilize when defending Governor Palin’s foreign policy experience. Yes, Governor Palin has not successfully negotiated an armistice with North Korea, or brought peace to the middle east, but neither has President Clinton, President Bush, Secretary of State Rice, Secretary of State Powell or Secretary of State Albright, and they have numerous cross-walks, lecture rooms and tug boats named after them. Governor Palin can meet the expectations set by those before her;
Stevie, I hope that my analysis and talking points will benefit Governor Palin at the debate. I understand you have had her locked in a room for days, providing her with talking points, coaching her on voice tone and mannerisms, and having her fall asleep while listening to the policy cassette tapes of Douglas Holtz-Eakin. You have very little time to re-program our lady of the north.
On second thought, if you find yourself without adequate time to prepare Governor Palin, you have a second and more efficient option? YOU COULD ALWAYS TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER PALATE AND ALLOW HER TO BE THE WITTY, CHARMING, SOPHISITICATED, DRIVEN, CONSERVATIVE REBEL FROM THE NORTH THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH!
Either way, good luck, let me know how it goes. I’ll write again.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I believe that Palin will show herself to be the heir to Reagan and the voice of conservatism for the next generation Thursday night. Palin is carrying McCain on her strong shoulders and will need to do some heavy lifting in the debate but she is more than capable and has shown herself time and again to do best under pressure. Palin could win the election on Thursday if she performs to her potential.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I think Palin will show herself to be somebody that is nowehre near prepared enough to be VP, which is what she has been doing the last few weeks. It’s embarassing that so many influential republicans are suggesting that she step down, and many of these are people who initially supported her selection. She just wasn’t ready for this. Her talking points have been an embarassment, and now we all know why the campaign was trying to protect her from spontaneous conversation with the media.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
VP debates often get contentious and are more attack-oriented than the Presidential debates.
PLEASE have Sarah prepared on at least the energy portion of the debate, either during a verbal scuffle or in direct response to Gwen Landfill’s question with the following phrase:
Read. My. Lipstick _______
And fill in the blank with “a McCain Palin administration will do whatever it takes to make America energy independent by drilling wherever we can and encouraging the private sector to develop nuclear, clean coal,, wind and anything else that will prevent America from sending 700 billion a year to countries that don’t have our best interests in mind.”
BONUS POINTS if she can zing her opponent: “Senator Biden, read my lipstick: a McCain-Palin administration is going to audit every single federal agency to eliminate waste, cut spending, and strengthen our dollar to help middle-class families pay for groceries and fill up the tanks in their cars.”
September 30th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Greg,
Do I have to go through this again?
Prior to becoming President:
FDR: 4 yrs executive experience
Truman: 0 yrs executive experience
Eisenhower: 0 yrs executive experience
Kenedy: 0 yrs executive experience
LBJ: 0 yrs executive experience
Nixon: 0 yrs executive experience (plus failed candidacy for governor)
Ford: 0 yrs executive experience
Carter: 4 yrs executive experience
Reagan: 8 yrs. executive experience
Bush I: 0 yrs executive experience
Clinton: 8 yrs executive experience
Bush II: 6 yrs executive experience
Palin: 10 yrs executive experience
September 30th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Kristofer – looks like you got a little crush on Sarah – witty, charming? sophisticated? these are not statesman-like accolades – methinks you’ve been doing a little too much studying on Sarah Palin these past 12 months.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
She’s just going to say stuff like “We need strong leadership at this crucial time, and John McCain is a proven leader.” Just platitudes and memorized answers. If she can’t answer a question, she’ll just give an answer to a different question for which she has actually practiced.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
JA Pruce:
Have you heard her speak? Come on, those other candidates at least sounded somewhat knowledgeable. It’s not a question of executive experience as mayor of 9,000 people, it’s knowledge of national and international issues, and she is just terrible here. Her selection was a political gimmick, just like the suspension of the campaign last week. It all smacks of desperation and a lack of real direction.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Greg, she has been more than able. Her task for Thursday is to make the American people comfortable with the idea of her taking over during a time of war and financial uncertainty in the unfortunate case of McCain being unable to. Her expectations are low – she can meet the challenge, she’s governor of the largest State in the Union for pete’s sake, she’s a fighter – our own Margaret Thatcher.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Kristofer – nice post. I think I agree more with your bolded comments to Steve. I’ve been so disgusted with how the campaign has treated Gov Palin. Let the Reformer from the North go wild on the MSM and politics as usual. She had some great debate performances and the interview with MSNBC a month before she was elected was phenomenal. This is the Gov Palin America needs to see not this emasculated talking head we’ve been seeing every day since the Convention.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
4
Ummmm Bush I was Chairman of the RNC and Director of the CIA.
I mean Director of CIA. “Do you put the word ‘the’ in front of God?”
September 30th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
This is her 2nd major test. She passed the first one (speech at convention) with flying colors. I have no idea how she’s done on the stump, though she certainly seems to be draw.
Her interviews with media have been poor so far (my opinion), though the knives have certainly been out on the part of the media.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Golly – I just got a personal email from John and the only thing he could come up with is extending the FDIC insurance cap from $100,000 to $250,000. I gave him some other suggestions before he sends out an email to all of his supporters but he seemed taken aback at my suggestions. He said he still wants to see a bailout passed even though many near geniuses on here (including myself) have suggested he fight against this bailout and as some suggested last night he personally own the defeat of this bill and introduce the McCain-Cantor American Rescue of 2008 Bill.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
The media has been totally unfair to Palin.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
JA Pruce #4
“FDR: 4 yrs executive experience
Truman: 0 yrs executive experience
Eisenhower: 0 yrs executive experience
Kenedy: 0 yrs executive experience
LBJ: 0 yrs executive experience
Nixon: 0 yrs executive experience (plus failed candidacy for governor)
Ford: 0 yrs executive experience
Carter: 4 yrs executive experience
Reagan: 8 yrs. executive experience
Bush I: 0 yrs executive experience
Clinton: 8 yrs executive experience
Bush II: 6 yrs executive experience”
Where are you getting these numbers? Bush I had 8 years of executive experience as VP under Reagan. LBJ was VP for around 3 years under Kennedy. Eisenhower has 0 years of executive experience? He was Supreme Allied Commander of the European Theater in World War II for goodness sakes! Then Military Governor of the U.S. Occupation Zone. Then President of Columbia University. Then Supreme Commander of NATO.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I was thinking about a debate strategy for Palin the other day that is admittedly pretty risky and I haven’t thought it out all the way so I would be curious to hear what others think of it.
Hillary gained enormous support after she showed her emotion and cried in NH. I don’t know if this would work or not but what do you think about Palin showing some raw emotion in the debate? Especially if there is a perceived attack on her either from Biden or the moderator.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
#15 — NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
September 30th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
None of those are as important as Mayor of Wasilla, apparently.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Hewitt posts Palin interview.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
JA Pruce # 4
Surely, Roosevelt’s 7 years as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, two of which were during a World War, counts as executive experience. Surely the U.S navy is larger than the Alaska Coast Guard. Surely NY State is somewhat larger and more challenging than Alaska. Surely responsibility for military demobilization after WW I requires some ” executive experience?’
This argument that being Mayor of Wasilla counts as much as being Governor of the nation’s largest state, at the time, is a totally ridiculous assumption. Just as being President of the PTA would count as the same executive experience as being President of the United States.
Palin is totally out of her league and it’s a shame that McCain picked her as it’s certainly unfair to her and will probably ruin her career outside Wasilla.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
conducted between Sept 27-Sept 29 by ABC/Washington Post of likely voters: Obama: 48; McCain 45: Nader: 3 Barr: 2
September 30th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Eisenhower was one of our better Presidents. He accomplished so much before he was elected.
I think it makes sense to put the experienced candidate on the top of the ticket. Obama has to phone Biden before he can give an informed statement on any topic.
McCain doesn’t need to be coached on how to be President.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
#20, if we can get a bailout bill passed before weeks end, I am confident that McCain can pull a Gerald Ford and win this thing.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
#15:
Absolutely not. That would be a disaster of epic proportions. She has to prove that she is capable of being President, not that she is a woman, which Hillary has to keep reminding people she is
September 30th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Ron,
If McCain were smart he would run AGAINST the Bush-Pelosi-Reid-Obama bailout and garner the support of the 70% of the Americans who oppose it.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
#24, he needs the issue off the table and fast. If the bailout passed, economic issues would likely fade quite a bit.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Ron,
Respectfully, the economy is doing fine. Look at the rallying today on the Stock Market today. It almost completely recovered in one day. McCain needs to rediscover his Maverick and follow the shrewd advice of people like Newt, Mike Pence, Rush, Hannity, Levin and 70% of the American people. He needs to stand on PRINCIPLE and support conservative, free market solutions.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I believe that Palin should use the attention focused on the debate Thursday to come out strong against the bailout and signal a new direction for the McCain/Palin ticket. This bold move would rally the troops, excite the base and galvanize the 70% of the American voters who oppose it.
September 30th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
#26, Our economy has shed jobs very quickly this year.
September 30th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
#26, what economic expertise do you base your claim on? You’re in disagreement with every economic consensus out there.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
JA Pruce: The bailout is going to pass. The rallying today on the stock market is in large part due to that. Also, John McCain will vote for it.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Don’t be so sure Hunter. He’s been pretty coy, he’s left the door open and he is known as the “Maverick.” Plus he needs a dramatic gamechanger.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
McCain worked to get the House GOP on board for the bill yesterday. Today he took credit for at least making the vote closer than it would’ve been… It wouldn’t be a “dramatic gamechanger” for him to suddenly decide that the bailout’s a bad idea and to lead the charge against it. He would look like a flip-flopper, for one, and everyone would question why it took him so long to make up his mind.
The Republican “heros” in Congress sold out the President and the Party’s presidential nominee. It’s amazing that some people are actually gloating about that.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:05 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4
Got to watch this video and how it ties Obama to the current economic crisis. Pretty cool.