The British reaction to Sarah Palin

Verity

That's a very telling post, Fraser. You may not have had time to follow the posts here while you were on the ground in the US, but the toxicity against Governor Palin is, frankly, unhinged.

Yes, lefty women hate her. But so do the men, to a far more explosive level than lefty men in the US, who simply wouldn't vote for her because they don't like her philosophy. But they don't loathe her.

The British lefty women are rendered ga-ga with hate. Why? She's been an outstanding chief executive. She used revenues from taxes on the energy companies to send a refund cheque of $1,2000 to every taxpayer in Alaska. What is wrong with that? She judged that the state-owned plane for the governor's use was a waste of taxpayer money and she sold it on eBay. What's wrong with that? She has served her electorate outstandingly. And she has some very fine ideas about energy efficiency, including a massive 7,000 mile pipeline across Canada and Alaska, which she negotiated with the Canadian government. What's wrong with that?

The British males are out in full, spitting, hissing, malevolent, envious sneer. In their case, the nomination of Governor Palin is all part of everything that's new and breezy about the way the United States does business. It's not the way we did it when we were the top country, so America must be doing it wrong and these resentful males, who cannot face the reality of change, are angry.

More entertaining still, they don't have a vote, so they have to suck it up whether they like it or not.

Michael Sweeney

I completely agree. The irony of Liz Forgan's comments were they followed a question about last week's report that women face a concrete ceiling in reaching the top jobs and that men were to blame. To think this woman is a Dame and ran Channel 4 and BBC radio says a great deal about Britain's great but no so good. However, the feminist 'liberals' of the Huffington Post have been saying pretty similar stuff too.

Alex Creel

Perhaps Christianity in Britain is viewed by those who practice it (and/or respect it) as a worthy cause but one best viewed with some objectivity - unlike the fundamentalism required to believe in creationism. As for female cynicism of Palin, suggesting that women whether in the US or here should think any more of her because of their mutual sexuality only shows your misunderstanding of equality. Many women have merely reacted to Palin's disingenous performance.

Alex

"Sarah Palin seems to provoke bigotry from people who spend most of their life railing against bigotry" - you are spot on.

The reason behind this is that they know that Palin is going to be extremely effective mobilising a strong case for people to vote Republican. As such, they are using whatever means, to attempt to damage her credibility.

They think their Chosen One, now has a strong chance of losing the General Election.

Sarah

I think the reason we British women don't like Sarah Palin is two-fold & quite simple:

1. It's precisely because you think we should like her. Obviously she's a woman so therefore she ticks all our boxes!...Ummm..women are just a tad more complex than that you know!

2. She's not very bright. We like our politicians to be smarter than we are - not dumber!

I did laugh at your comment re: being a hockey mom. I think you missed the point here. All your press/GOP people are salivating BECAUSE she's a hockey mom - ever heard of irony being used in question form?!

And on religion - well, Ruth Kelly wasn't chosen as an MP because of her religion (in fact no one knew she was at all religious until she's been an MP for years & years but Palin was - you had a gap you needed to fill & it had to be evangelical. So - sorry to tell you this but Ruth Kelly is absolutely fine with 99% of British women. Plus she's very smart - just as we like our women over her in Hicksville!

Tiberius

Fraser, if you think the pack of wolverines is howling now, just wait until the discussion moves on to how Sarah Palin organizes a dinner party.

Nick Kaplan

The entire feminist movement in the west is dominated by left-wing ideologues who despise everything Palin stands for. In addition they are terrified of the appeal Palin has to the average American voter and therefore fear the damage she will do to their wonder boy Obama. This is why there has been such a fierce reaction to her in the British Press, not because she has done anything wrong, or because she lacks experience (she has more than all the other candidates) or because she believes in creationism (I’ve seen no evidence of this), but purely because the leftist media/ Obamaniacs are terrified of her, It’s great fun to watch them squirm!

Verity

Alex Creel - The disingenuity is all yours, my good chap!

That was one hell of a canny and polished performance! Name one British politician who could have given a performance of such panache. Name one. Governor Palin was breezy, dynamic and confident. And funny.

Nell Bigsby

I think the left dislike her because they believe they alone are supporters (albeit in a patronising manner) of women and minorities. They've spent some months saying:"Look at us. We've got a black candidate and if you don't vote for him you're a racist".
Now all of a sudden the Republicans have got a woman candidate. They can't very well attack her for being a woman so they have to attack her intellect.
And "all British women" don't hate her. I think she's a breath of fresh air.
- Not that I'd vote for her. But I wouldn't vote for McCain, Obama or Biden either.

RMH

Any one wonder why a former newsreader gave such a good speech, well apart from that and 3 solid days of practice.

It was a great speech, but she has more skeletons in her closet than a 1980s Tory MP.

She will enliven both bases, drive cash to both sides and will I hope blow up in the faces of the GOP.

Ian C

No Sarah, she can't be bright. How do you know?

To have 80% approval as Governor of a State and chosen as possibel V-P of the most powerful nation means she must be being dim. It's quite logical and there is a ton of evidence for such a childish assertion.

Alex

You must be living in a different universe. The American feminists I've been reading have been up in arms about Palin's anti-abortion, anti-sex education positions (whilst simultaneously being aghast at sexist stuff coming out against her).

Obama makes the case that he doesn’t need executive experience and is qualified through other means , if this is true is debateable but his CV still seems a fair bit more impressive than Palin’s. The Palin argument goes that her executive experience alone is enough to qualify her for office – which it clearly hasn’t been. To make the argument that Palin has more executive decision than Obama or Biden you also have to accept that she has more executive experience than McCain. This is fine, because there are people running High Schools who have managed more people than those three. But then we have to think that there are mayors running 16 cities in America with more people in them than Alaska and yet the Mayor of Austin would never be taken seriously as a VP pick. When you consider that she hasn’t even been in the job a full term yet I’m not sure how any experience argument possibly flies – it’s also a weird pick for McCain because the experience argument might have been an Obama weak spot. He cannot possibly argue this issue with Palin on the ticket.

You don't get points for showing up to an executive position - you get points for doing a good job. Palin left a town that started with no debt with $22 million of debt and she is currently under investigation for allegedly firing someone who refused to fire a state trooper with a family connection. While by all accounts the trooper is not a particularly nice person, this would be a blatant abuse of power and really should have been a red-flag during whatever vetting there was.

Talking about Creationism is very different form plain ol’ religious bigotry when she's made it clear she supports it being taught in schools and tried to push her conservative beliefs into banning books at the local library when she was Mayor (when she also threatened to fire the Librarian for ‘not giving full support to the mayor’ – classy act). People who justify wars as ‘God’s will’ like Palin does should be absolutely terrifying.

Her tenure as Mayor and short-span as Governor in any decent world would not be seen as executive experience you want to move to the White House.

Max Kaye

Ironically, the idol of the feminist left (one Hilary Clinton), only reached her position on the coattails of her husband.

Sarah Palin for President in 2012!

mitch

well if she winds the lefties up that's fine with me.

why are they so bothered? its none of their damn business anyway if the USA vote a baby eating psychopath its their affair .

Verity

Nick Kaplan - spot on

BTW, the gag about pit bulls and lipstick was improvised. The Governor's autocue had stuck and she had to fill the dead time. It got the second biggest laugh of the evening.

(The first was when she said the guessed that being a mayor was something like being a "community organiser", except with the responsibility for the outcomes.

Tee hee.

Sarah writes: "but Ruth Kelly is absolutely fine with 99% of British women. Plus she's very smart - just as we like our women over her in Hicksville!"

Source, please. I've never heard of anyone who would vote for her on a bet. She looks like a heffer wending her way back to the cow shed.

BCS

Criticism of Palin's religion is simply code for criticism of her religion? This is pathetic, and would disgrace a McCain campaign spokesman. Surely the distinction between enlightened religious faith and a profoundly irrational and ignorant rejection of very convincing scientific arguments is obvious. The latter is arguably a disadvantage in a one expected to make informed and rational decisions. Not only this, but Palin's creationism is by no means simply personal - she she advocates the teaching of it (or at least ID) in the classroom.

Nicholas

Most of the Lefty men railing against her are men in name only. The Left have created a whole new breed of uber-wimps. I blame the exponential increase in Mummy's Boys and the amount of crying on "reality" TV.

Labour's wimmin won't like the guns and swimsuit either.

I like Mr Bigsby's comment: "I think the left dislike her because they believe they alone are supporters (albeit in a patronising manner) of women and minorities." Spot on. The Left's selective championing of women and minorities has done more to aggravate sexual and racial tensions than anything else. They have used guilt to create resentment and to demonise dissent and propaganda with their media allies to force unnecessary and corrosive change down our collective throats. Harriet Harmthenation is probably the best (worst?) example of this.

Hopefully, one day, we will be able to emerge from the shadow of Labour's suffocating darkness into the sunlit uplands of common sense and reason.

BCS

Her robust record on reform,incidentally, includes her vociferous support for the Bridge to Nowhere project (before a Kerryesque U-turn) and requests for billions of dollars of earmarks for Alaska - requests often made in collaboration with the two Alaskan senators, who are notorious for their enthusiasm for pork-barrel politics. Then there is the Troopergate affair of course, the report on which her lawyers are now desperately trying to postpone. Robust indeed.

Augustus

I have found it difficult, as yet, to tap a unified British female reaction to Sarah Palin. I suspect that it may not be that different to reactions of non-American voters elsewhere. It may be that the expectation over many months of a possible first woman American Presidential nominee was so great, and the choice of Obama instead, so subconsciously disappointing, that when a strong newcomer comes arrinves on the scene, and who won't be running for the top job, women revert to sneering and even bitchiness about Palin. The fact remains, however, that in less than a week nobody was talking about Hillary Clinton anymore.

Miranda

"We British women don't like Sarah Palin is two-fold & quite simple"

Speak for yourself Sarah, your nasty views don't represent me or my women friends of family. They are spiteful and horrid.

I think Sarah Palin is extremely brave, and I love her CV. Plus she seems to have been very effective in her job. Good on her, I love to see someone in the UK, male or female with her 'down to earth', approach.

But, I tell you who I do despise, lefty feminists - and you appear to be one!!

Puncheon

Sarah - "She's not very bright" how do you know, and what have you ever done that enables you to make such a judgement? As for Ruth Kelly, everyone knew about her religion from the start, because Bolton (my home town) has more (old) Catholics than any other place in the UK - we are still thinking hard about the Elizabethan religious settlement and will not be hurried. She wanted to maximise the Catholic vote for herself. You are a typical lefty - hanging derogatory labels round the neck of everyone who disagrees with you and slagging off women who have the nerve not to be left wing. Orwell was right, lefty women are disappointed, unhappy, bitter about good looking women and filled with bile.

Chuck Unsworth

@ Verity

"to send a refund cheque of $1,2000 to every taxpayer in Alaska"

How much???

James J

Because the left hold the only True and Revealed Faith. They know this because everyone they talk to says so and are, after all, very, very clever. Everyone said so in school. People who don’t hold this faith are obviously evil.

JONNY

Dear Fraser,
Why do you assume that people intending to vote for Cameron and the Tories are also by nature Republicans?
As a party many of us currently find them just about a total turn-off. As well as a yawn.

We have this rather futile old man the famous Maverick, who lets loose his dirt squads to do their foulest in character assassination - yet pretends to be above it all. Above party. Pure as driven snow.
And then I suppose I have to mention the Palin Woman.
The lethal Arctic Dominatrix. It seems to me and many Tory friends I've been talking to that she touches a new low in strident American ghastliness.
In under a week I've had my fill of her on TV. She has now outscored even Tony Blair as candidate for the remote control button guillotine.

So like Boris I'm backing Obama.
Is that a problem?
Of course like you don't have a vote!

Chris in Virginia

It is interesting to hear the points of view from across the pond. I do think part of the dynamic is she is what liberal feminists have stated a woman should be - except she is conservative.

I am taken aback by statements doubting her intelligence. An ivy league degree does not equate intelligence or good judgment. The proof is in the pudding. Simply put she can point to real accomplishments in her short career as mayor and Governor of Alaska. Barak Obama cannot.

Also - all those "skeletons" are proving to be ghosts as the more aggressive lefties in the press here have been retracting most of their sensationalist claims.

Hysteria

a representative democracy is about the people voting for someone to talk for them; it should not be about party, pressure groups and politicking.

For these reasons Palin has captured the mood of many ordinary people, and REALLY pissed of the party machinery - on both sides.

Yes it could all come unglued - but meanwhile - this is great!

By the way - Verity - the silence from Hillary is deafening don't you think?

TGF UKIP

Judging by The Independent's front page story the Greens and the animal activists are determined to vie with the femmies in their screeching anti Palinism - and guess which side's the BBC is going to come down on. All that's left now is for Sweetie Duncan and the other Tory clintonistas to join in.

The Left is plainly readying itself for a MCain victory so that they will be all set with their bile and vitriol to twist the minds of the British public and ratchet them into more aversion to Americans in general and Republicans in particular.

And BTW, Tiberius, just imagine what they would make of a Palin menu!

Fraser Nelson

Sarah, it just ain't so - the point of Palin is not to rally the womens votes but the social conservatives who didnt like McCain and weren't going to come out to vote for him, or anyone. His fundrasing trebled the day of her nomination. And she embodies the abortion issue, as only the mother of a Down syndrome child can. Sure, she makes some overtures to Hillary but that's a minor point. You should have seen the Republicans in Minneapolis - there was something almost Marian about the reverence they held her in. Her gender matters in that its harder for Obama to attack her. But the Republicans are not so stupid as to think "here's a girlie for the girlies". More like "here's a conservative icon, for the conservatives."

Craig Strachan

Fraser: " In America, the feminists have kept quiet"

Not really.
http://www.now.org/press/08-08/08-29.html

mart

Fraser, are you really surprised? There are some seriously intolerant left-wing opinions carried in such shows. The views appear to have an air of respectability because they are not challenged by the moderator of the show.

Caroline

Why are the "pro-choice" lefties so vitriolic in their condemnation of anyone who "chooses" to hold the opposing view on the subject of abortion?

dearieme

Do you really need an explanation for plain women disliking an attractive one?

Fraser Nelson

Jonny, I don't think I suggested a Tory/Republican link. My guess is that Tory support would be pretty evenly split between Obama and McCain.
Alex/Craig, let me clarify - I didn't hear views on mainstream media. I have no doubt the exist. I'm just saying I didnt come across any such voices on the cable news channels and talk radio stations I listened to. The BBC is, of course, a more obvious home for such opinion.

Mart, I'm shocked but not surprised. BCS, it's an issue of tolerance. What is "profoundly irrational and ignorant" to one man (or woman) is an article of faith to another. We respect that in Britain, we not some kind of secular Saudi Arabia. Plus one of Palin's first moves was to veto an bill from the Republican-led Alaskan legislature banning benefits to same-sex couples. Its not like she's running a theocracy up there in Anchorage.

Francis Brooke

I do not believe that the British press has in any way attempted to give a balanced or well-informed assessment of the record of Governor Palin. Has anyone asked Ruth Kelly for her view?

Fortunata

The feminists lost the game when they became hopelessly entangled with Marxism and the politics of identity. Real women who achieve success without the "help" of affirmative action are an existential threat to this way of thinking. Expect a lot of howling as these dinosaur feminists try to stop others from wandering off the liberal plantation that is the Democratic Party.

simon hb

Why demand that a woman going for VP needs a longer CV than a man going for the presidency?

Perhaps - and it's just a guess - because the Republicans (and the Clintonites during the Primaries) had kept banging on about Obama's perceived "lack of experience"?

And isn't being a senator with a background of foreign policy decisions at least equal to being a governor of a smaller state? Or are you really suggesting that in order to run a country, you have to have been a governor first? But we don't expect our Prime Minister to have spent time as leader of a county council or as a mayor - what's important is their experience demonstrating they understand the issues and can be trusted. A senate record is just as strong for that.

Stronger, actually, since the Republicans are having to fall back on "well, she comes from a state that's near Russia" when asked to show her Foreign Policy experience.

Why do people ask questions about her "hockey mum"-ness?

Perhaps because that's part of what she's being sold on - even McCain, asked if she had a solid enough background for the VP role said "she was on the PTA".

The suggestion that there's something sexist in suggesting that Palin is totally unfit for Vice President is a smokescreen; it's being used as a fall-back by people who know that it's undeniable and have no real counter argument beyond "she was governor of Alaska" - because her record there was terrible.

UK Male Palin supporter

Margaret Thatcher got the same treatment. It's par for the course from the 'liberal' (sic) left feminists.

Basically they can't stand the competition showing them up for the shrill irrelevant layabouts that they are.

As Fraser points out it's pure bigotry and it's formed from deep insecurity and jealousy.

Personally, I think Palin is great and would love to see more women like her in the UK.

It's much better than the incessant whining of the spoilt little daddy's girl princesses who seem to dominate our female politics with their world owes us a living attitude.

Only the likes of Nadine Dorries seem to have escaped the clutches of this pathetic British version of feminism.

Anglica

"Women Beware Women" - Thomas Middleton recognized that necessity back in 1657! And whatever my other reactions to Middleton, I don't deny the realities he presents. This is one of them.

Generally, in my experience, when English women decide to be vicious, they take the cake (Peace!!! "WHEN SHE WAS GOOD SHE WAS VERY, VERY GOOD; but when she was bad, she was horrid."). Quite why, I don't know - but Palin's combination of good looks, pleasantness, originality, and intelligence emanates a power that English women discourage in each other! Ergo- such women seldom rise through the ranks in British politics. Some do, of course. Thatcher was exceptional; but a different type- a British type. I think Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, is another example of a very special British 'political activist' who was also female.

Further, in both the UK and the US I've noticed that Feminists tend to gang up against those who refuse to join their 'sisterhood'. In fact, I have no idea whether Palin is a feminist but, if so, she certainly does not seem to be the kind who hates or envies other women. Rather, she strikes me as a woman who can think and act independently and who has drawn ahead of the games played by weaker and nastier representatives of her gender. That would encourage me to vote for her.

The factor would contribute to a final decision that would discount gender in itself: it would be about the policies, the knowledge, the nature, and the abilities of the person; and the fact that a candidate of John McCain's calibre has chosen her.

Verity

Fraser's words are wise.

Dearie Me - You are wrong. This is a delusion that men buy into but women don't. Women like pretty women and beautiful women. That's why fan magazines sell so well. It's not men who buy fan magazines. Women like looking at and reading about other pretty women. Jackie Kennedy's biggest fans were not men, but women. Do you think anyone follows the life of Angelina Jolie but women? You must disabuse yourself of all this man-generated nonsense because it is made up out of whole cloth to try to get control.

BTW, Fraser, I too mentioned that Governor Palin vetoed the bill banning benefits to same-sex couples which the Alaska Senate had passed somewhere else on this pages as no one else seemed to have mentioned it.

Francis Brooke, why would anyone be interested in a boring non-achieving nonentity like Ruth Kelly? She's a nothing. Once this government's been run off, no one will remember her name a week later.

Simon HB "And isn't being a senator with a background of foreign policy decisions at least equal to being a governor of a smaller state?"

What "decisions"? He is not in the position, doesn't have the authority, to make any foreign policy decisions. He's a senator. Governor Palin is a chief executive. Her record as Governor of Alaska, which you dub "terrible" - is that what the BBC told you? - is, she has an 80% approval rate.

I wonder how big Gordon Brown's approval rate is, by the way ...

CG

Objecting to her creationism is not code for despising religion. I go to church every week but I am not a creationist and I think they are mad. I think that belief in such a discredited idea should disbar anybody from high office and it's firghtening that Sarah Palin could soon be VP. Also frightening that so many usually intelligent Spectator readers are backing her.

TGF UKIP

I just wonder what the Guardian, The Independent and the BBC reaction to her would have been if she had been a Democrat? Daft question really.

Trumpeter Lanfried

It's tribal. Lefties don't evaluate candidates. They categorise them.

Democratic female = Truth and Light.

Republican female = Gruesome unintelligent woman who probably thinks Tuscany is in the Algarve.

mart

Verity, you deserve your own blog, you're always worth reading!

Fraser, did you appreciate that the only soundbites we really got in the news bulletins from Mrs Palin's speech were: 1. the one about hockey moms and lipstick, and 2. the one about her wanting to go to Washington to serve the people of the USA not to seek the approval of the media.

I shouldn't complain too hard though: perhaps the rest of the soundbites were too dull or too parochial to use. Seems likely, given the level the speeches are pitched at in those meetings. But I wouldn't know for, I didn't watch it live.

Lastly a word of encouragement; your post and Verity's comments are the only hard information I've come across about who she is (other than a hockey mom that is) and what she has done in politics / government.

Keep it up...

BCS

Fraser: in your original post you nicely juxtapose the virulent response to Palin's creationism with the sort of reaction similar views held by a Muslim would provoke, but I suspect the same argument could be used against your own position. If a devout Muslim politician in this country, espousing creationism and supporting the teaching of it (or a variant)in British schools, would you and the Spectator be emphasising the importance of 'respecting' these views? Really? The reference to Saudi Arabia is spurious - no-one is suggesting that Palin should be silenced / locked up for her opinions, simply that it would be wiser not to vote for her. The use of the word 'ignorant' re Palin's creationism is perfectly valid factually as she concedes that she has not thought seriously about the issues here. As for the theocracy point, the allegations that she tried to ban books from libraries during her mayoral term suggests that her sentiments are not impeccably liberal. The fact that she sat through a sermon at her Pentecostalist Church from a speaker representing a group condemned as intolerant by Anti-Defamation League is not encouraging either.
On a more fundamental point, the Spectator, and surely its readers here, care passionately about American foreign policy. Palin has evinced no real intellectual interest in it whatsoever (except for demanding an clear exit plan in Iraq - might this turn you and James Forsyth against her, if nothing else?)

GH

To clarify any misapprehensions, Sarah Palin suggested that Creationism should be debated in schools, but should not form part of the curriculum. Hardly radical, fairly sensible I'd say. Other than this - often misrepresented - statement, I have heard nothing else from her on the issue, nor am I sure that she is in fact a Creationist. Other readers may have links to share on this one - I'd certainly be interested to know.

Fed up with bigots.

BCS

But the point is that the socialists with the virulent views would be screaming for respect of the Muslim views. They are bigots.

The names Sarah Palin has been called have indeed come close to a 'witch hunt'. There has been no balance that would prove the 'wisdom' you state. Where is the discussion on the 'wisdom' of voting for Obhama - or not. After, all he has some dubious friends, dangerous economic policies, and no executive experience.

I believe 'ignorant' has been used to describe Sarah Palin herself, rather than describe the degree of knowledge she has on the subject. In fact I haven't seen her knowledge or policies on the subject discussed.

As you say, they are allegations, and you cannot just judge on negative allegations!!

It is not encouraging that Obhama's pastor is a racist - and he sat through sermons for many years!!

Obhama has no foreign policy experience and he is standing for President. So why no comparison of the two. Shall we wait and hear her views in discussions, rather than jumping to conclusions about them?

Verity

CG - I find it frightenng that you are such a fanatical single-issue voter. Try and broaden your vision to the question of ability to deliver and consider that Governor Palin enjoys an 80% approval record among actual voters. That means, they support her chief executive decisions. We haven't yet heard from the voters of Illinois about how they feel the junior senator is doing.

BCS - You know Governor Palin, do you? Do you know how tiresome you little repetititve fleas who can't stop jumping are? You are filled with hatred because she is an unalloyed right winger, like Ronald Reagan, and is immensely appealing, like Ronald Reagan, and that shakes the foundations of your wobbly little one-worlder socialist belief system.

She's the Governor of Alaska, the foreign policy which she knows is that of our relations with Russia, which is 30 miles off the coast of Alaska, and Canada, whose cooperation she needs for the 7,000 mile pipeline she has negotiated.

Your boy Obama's foreign policy experience seems to be limited to his own family. The Obongos and the Georges and the Indonesian chapter. Not that he is in touch with them, but at least he has some contacts in Africa and one in Indonesia in case he ever needs them. And he paid a crowd to turn up in Berlin by promising a live band and free beer, and provided them with headsets and a free translator (off camera), so they knew when to applaud. Then he had his picture taken in London with George Brown. And had his picture taken in front of the Eiffel tower, "Hi mom! This is me in Paris!"

Governor Palin has genuine foreign policy experience, as a chief executive. Obama has no more than any other tourist on a week's package tour.

Your boy's a busted flush, no matter how many billions are now behind him.

Verity

Mart - isn't her speech on Youtube somewhere? Surely it is. I looked on ustream.tv and couldn't find it; and you also might try C-Span. It would be a shame if it you missed it. It was such a shot of adrenalin. Next time set your recorder on ustream.tv and watch when you get up in the morning. The Vice Presidential debate is on 2 October.

Verity

Hysteria writes: "By the way - Verity - the silence from Hillary is deafening don't you think?"

No. Not at all. I would have been astonished had she made a public statement. She doesn't have a dog in this hunt.

Fraser Nelson

BCS, come on. For the record I don't believe in creationism or a whole whack of stuff in Islam, Judaism etc. But I wouldn’t call any follower of those faiths "ignorant". And those "allegations" about her books and the libraries are lies - just google them. She didn’t try to ban anything, she just asked – after receiving a complaint – if books could be banned.

Mart, her speech was well worth listening to. Perhaps even historic. I think James put up a YouTube clip if you scroll back.

CG - I suspect you are not a born-again Christian like a third of Americans (including Mrs Palin) are. Singling out creationism is usually (but not always) a tool to attack evangelical Christianity.

And as for debarring her from office: what about the weird idea that Jesus rose from the dead? Scientific evidence shows people don’t rise from the dead. Should belief in the resurrection debar people from high office? Scientific studies shows pork is safe to eat: should we debar observing Jews from office too? All religion sounds weird if you zero in on aspects of it. The woman is free to believe whatever she likes, and deserves to be judged on her record in office. Unlike Obama & Biden, she actually has one.

From Los Angeles

As an American conservative man, I'm thrilled to see a "normal" American selected by a fellow politician to govern the country. I think the revulsion that liberals express toward Palin comes from the thought that one of the unwashed majority might come to power.

The liberal-dominated media has left people unprepared to face the reality of American conservatives.

Verity

BCS - oh, so now the lefties are adopting the non-hysterical, "urbane", reasoned approach.

"Not encouraging ...". "On a more fundamental point ..." "Her sentiments are not impeccably liberal..." No, well they wouldn't be, would they, given that her sentiments are impeccably conservative. What a hoot!

Why are you working so hard? The constituency is on the other side of the Atlantic, and you have to be an American citizen to vote in the election. Why do you care so very, very much what British readers of The Speccie think? Lefties in Britain must have felt the same boiling rage when Mr Reagan won the Presidency. How quaint.

Ben Disraeli

I'm sure the soon-to-be first woman Vice President of the United States couldn't give a bucket of moose guts what a bunch of British lefties think of her.

I wish we had a politician with 10% of her calibre here.

Verity

NEWSFLASH - just speculation, but I hear that Obama knows the bloom is off the rose and there isn't going to be any coronation and maybe, among many mistakes, he made the wrong pick for VP. He kept chanting his empty "Change" slogan, and McCain changed everything by putting Palin on the ticket with him. So "change" has been slipped right out from under him.

Rush Limbaugh thinks they're already talking behind closed doors and ... Joe Biden may not make it all the way through to the election. Doubtless some sad personal crisis ...

Limbaugh says they're discombobulated and don't know what to do. Obama's close group apparently wondering if they should have put Hillary on the ticket ...

My opinion - put Deputy Dawg on the ticket, but you made ONE HUGE bad choice before you were even elected.

But interesting to speculate ... if Joe Biden suddenly realises he has some family issues to solve and begs to be released from the ticket ... who? She'd be tempted ... but would Hillary accept? My opinion: No. Obama is probably going to lose. She'll wait until it's a whole new ball game and expect to be named the nominee in 2012. Obama's got the smell of failure round him.

Just my thinking after watching Fox tonight.

Joe Camel

What is it about Sarah Palin that aroused that orchestrated outpouring of frenzied hatred? Why did scores of supposedly sane, reasonable, respected, well-paid establishment journalists on both sides of the Atlantic suddenly indulge in a collective orgy of throwing their toys out of the pram?

This is the clearest analysis I’ve found anywhere on the net:

http://www.firstthings.com/blog/2008/09/04/why-they-hate-her/

And for the poster pleading ignorance because he hadn’t seen or heard the speech, it’s available here both in print and on video:

http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/transcripts/20080903_PALIN_SPEECH.html

A note to BCS: the Anti-Defamation League is never slow to sling accusations of intolerance around. Very often the accusations are richly deserved, but by no means always. Jews for Jesus, after all, aren't exactly in the suicide bombing business, are they?

Gil

An interesting piece by Charles Johnson in the LGF website about Palin and Creationism:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31088_Sarah_Palin_and_Creationism

'She (Palin) added that, if elected (as governor - Gil), she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state’s required curriculum'

Johnson, a "staunch anti-creationist" (his own words), clearly realises what many here don't: The US Constitutional system is about checks and balances. The 'game' is played between the Supreme Court, Congress and the White House.

Johnson doesn't believe that Palin will attempt ro ram Creationism down pupils' throats.

BCS, How do you know that Palin has evinced no real intellectual interest in foreign policy? Are you privy to all her utterances and thoughts, 24-7? Her role as governor of Alaska leads me to conclude that thoughts about that State's Russian neighbour have certainly exercised her. In addition, she is held out to be an oil industry expert which means she must be aware of the USA's dependence on foreign energy - and the problems this entails.

molesworth 1

Fraser said...

'And as for debarring her from office: what about the weird idea that Jesus rose from the dead? Scientific evidence shows people don’t rise from the dead. Should belief in the resurrection debar people from high office.'

Absolutely it should. I'm sick & tired of public policy being determined by people who believe any sort of mumbo-jumbotionalist hog-wash.

Vote Dawkins!

Nick

Fraser you wrote: "And those "allegations" about her books and the libraries are lies - just google them. She didn’t try to ban anything, she just asked – after receiving a complaint – if books could be banned."

How do you explain the fact that a few weeks after asking this hypothetical question about banning books that Palin sent the librarian a letter terminating her employment ? And which she subsequently had to rescind after a show of popular support for the librarian from the rest of the town.

Ian C

I find it quite amazing that so many people can be so critical of someone they have only known about for a week. They accuse her of being a creationist when there is no eveidence that this is the case - and attack her for what? They don't know but she is clearly a huge surprise and most do like surprises that catch them out. Why Brits should come into this category is incredible. A wise one would sit quietly and watch what unfolds over the next couple of weeks and see what develops and then perhaps feel entitled to an opinion. If you did not watch her speech you are certainly not entitled to one yet.

I am even more amazed that British conservatives, who have spent a decade and more desperate to get a Labour gov't out because of its tax and spend, big governemnt 'we know how to spend your money better than you' approach can contemplate supporting Obama.

His plan is to introduce tax credits across the USA! and a National Health Service in the 21st Century whenits is a 1940's construct. He wants to protect US jobs and abandon exiting free trade agreements while handing control of education to politically driven unionist teachers. What is there here for a British conservative to support let alone should be actively campaigning against?

Again, thise who express such suport cannot have done their homewrk and merely responded to the Democrat propaganda about Obama.

Some amazingly ignorant comments have been written here by loads of you who claim to be 'right of cente'.

BCS

Verity: I can't understand this assumption that I am a socialist Obamama-maniac simply because I don't think Palin is at all qualified. I am a Tory and have very little time for the Democratic messiah, who seems beneath the hysteria to be another Dukakis or McGovern. Nor do I have any objection to Reagan, though arguably his economic achievements were partly down to the Federal Reserve while the conservative coalition he supposedly forged may well have been Nixon's creation.
Gil: If Palin had evinced real intellectual interest in foreign policy, perhaps she might have written an article on it at some point? Or appeared on a news programme or interview to discuss it? Or explained her foreign policy views since becoming a VP candidate?
Simply because many of those condemning Palin are on the Left, and many of the criticisms are unfair, does not mean she would be a qualified and capable VP.

Marian C

Sarah @September 6th, 2008 5:51pm – “She's not very bright.”

What a load of absolute rubbish, what are you basing this allegation on? Sarah Palin went to an Ivy League university! I’d be very surprised if you have even left school!

“We like our politicians to be smarter than we are - not dumber!”

Your joking, take a look at our own politicians e.g. Gordon Brown, the man is not just “dumber” he’s a raving lunatic and for the rest of the ZaNuLabour party, of which no doubt you are an ardent follower, there is not one of them that can make any sort of coherent decision on anything at all.

“And on religion - well, Ruth Kelly wasn't chosen as an MP because of her religion (in fact no one knew she was at all religious until she's been an MP for years & years”

That’s another lot of rot, everybody knew that Ruth Kelly was a Catholic! I grant you, they may not have known that she was a member of Opus Dei, but your assertion that nobody knew about her religious status for years is total twaddle and just goes to show that you are not very well read.

“So - sorry to tell you this but Ruth Kelly is absolutely fine with 99% of British women. Plus she's very smart - just as we like our women over her in Hicksville!”

You really do make some ridiculous statements, “99% of British women”, were do you get this nonsense from? Again, based on what? did you do a MORI poll of the nation in class?, or is this something that you have dreamed up in your ignorance. Show us were you have got the evidence that “99% of British women think Ruth Kelly is absolutely fine”, I'm not fine with Ruth Kelly at all! and I’m sure there are a lot of us on this site who would like to see what this evidence of yours. Sadly, I have to say to Sarah, that if you think Ruth Kelly is “very smart” then you really don’t know any smart women at all!

MikeF

The 'people who spend most of their life railing against bigotry' are, for the most part, just people who use the words 'bigot' as a catch-all term of abuse for anyone who thinks differently than them. The word has been leached of all useful content by its use as an incantation devoid of definition.

mckenzie

Jesus you people are full of hate. I thank the Holy Christ I only come into contact with you on a blog.

Augustus

Ian C, Here! Here!

This sexist attack on her and even her femininity itself disturbs me greatly. You'd think she had committed some dastardly criminal act, reading some of the abuse thrown at her.
But I guess you just can't reason with some people. They are like junkies who have to have their hate fix, and that includes the BBC.

Conservative Cabbie

This message about her not being very bright is interesting. It seems to me I've heard it before coming from the left. Ah, now I remember, they said it about George W Bush, Dan Quayle and Ronald Reagan. It seems if you don't think like a liberal then according to liberals you're not very bright. Interesting though somewhat arrogant hypothesis.

Conservative Cabbie

Marian C

I agree with your sentiments but do have to correct you on her choice of school, she didn't go to an Ivy League School, that was The Messiah, Palin went to the type of school that ordinary people go to.

Totally agree with everything else you say.

Joe Camel

Quote: "would Hillary accept? My opinion: No. Obama is probably going to lose. She'll wait until it's a whole new ball game and expect to be named the nominee in 2012." (Verity, Sept. 7 at 2:55 a.m.)

Two women candidates in 2012? Possibly, though McCain will presumably still be fit enough to run for a second term if he chooses to.

Smart move bringing his mother to the convention! You don’t see many 96-year-olds as active as that. Why didn't the Sarah Palin haters throw a few fistfuls of mud at Roberta McCain as well, I wonder? None left over, or just afraid of what she might do in return?

Verity

BCS writes: "If Palin had evinced real intellectual interest in foreign policy, perhaps she might have written an article on it at some point?"

Why the bleedin' hell should she? She's governing the biggest and richest state in the union. It's a 24/7 job. All of a sudden she should immerse herself in foreign policy instead of what she was elected to do? Are you nuts? She'll get trained in it once they're in office.

She is going to be the Vice President, for God's sake! Not the co-president. It's a real post with its own discrete area of action. She won't be proposing policy. AT ALL. Please understand. We have the president and his advisors for that. Should something untoward occur to the President, those advisors who have been working day and night on policy since the Inauguration, will still be there to inform and advise her.

Understand, the Vice Presidency of the United States is not a bloody executive position. She doesn't have meetings with the President and bring in a folder saying, "I've mapped out a few idea for Hungary." It's not the business of the VP! The President and his advisors do policy. Say this 100 times.

BTW, did you know she's been to Kuwait? As the head of the Alaskan National Guard. And, as we know, she went to Landstuhl Military Hospital in Germany. That gives her about as much foreign experience as Obama, not counting all his his half brothers and sisters.

BTW, Charles Johnson seems to like Sarah.

Kit in California

The left doesn't like her because she's not a victim. She doesn't spend all of her time like Hillary, saying how unfair the world is to women, she just does the job.

Democrats are professional victims and she embodies everything that they detest. It's not her words; its her life including: faith, success, a loving husband and family, a special needs child, beauty (inner and outer)that the left despises. They can't fathom her success in life.

The left is attacking on the fringes. For example; you can't challenge someone's faith so you challenge their stance on teaching creationism. You can't challenge someone for having 5 kids so you challenge her ability to manage job and family. They can't stand that she is attractive, so they make fun of her as a beauty contestant.

The attacks will only intensify, even after she is elected.

Gil

BCS said: 'Gil: If Palin had evinced real intellectual interest in foreign policy, perhaps she might have written an article on it at some point? Or appeared on a news programme or interview to discuss it? Or explained her foreign policy views since becoming a VP candidate?'

BCS, there you go again equating writing articles or giving interviews to having views on foreign policy.

She will have the BEST advisers in the land if push came to shove and she had to step in for Mccain.

Dick Cheney had masses of experience before becoming VP, so did Rumsfeld. Need I say more?

Her speech at the RNC, delivered under extreme pressure (probably an understatement), while having less than 4 days to prepare; with all the events swirling around her - showed that she can handle pressure like the best of them.

So I'm confident that she will be a fast learner and learn to crystallise and articulate her world view.

Verity

New post for slightly different topic -- how many people have seen the clip of Obama giving a talk and saying something about his "experiences since I became president". The man is insane. Yes, he corrected himself immediately, but he said it. It's in his head that he is president.

Ian C, I echo Augustus's "Here, here". August, agree, it is the hate level against this woman is awesome. The left in the US hates her, but not with the level of sheer virulence of the British left, including the BBC, which you pay for.

Cameron should announce the privatisation of the BBC.

dennis

In neither of the two big speeches she has made so far did Mrs Palin mention the word 'abortion' or say anything at all about creationism vs evolution.

So why do her critics dwell on matters that the candidate herself has never raised in the context of this election?

Verity

Marian C - Governor Palin most assuredly did NOT go to an Ivy League University! She went to Idaho State. Having been born in Idaho, she may have qualified for free tuition. I don't know.

Incidentally, if Biden has a sudden fit of "ill health" and resiles as VP candidate, don't forget,you read it first, here on The Speccie.

Marion, I also pulled "Sarah" up on the Ruth Kelly thing. She's delusional. Ruth Kelly's a nonentity and her belief system is of no consequence.

Arbie

"By the end of her first day as Mayor of Wasilla she had more executive experience than Barack Obama or Joe Biden put together." - And John McCain - or did you forget that?

As for disliking her creationism - well I sure do. The sad thing there is not that people say it about her, but that people wouldn't say that of Muslims because they are scared (I think they would of Jews, especially Israelis). That doesn't make the criticism of her creationist beliefs any less valid, however, but rather just highlights our hypocrisy to other religions.

As for female on female bigotry - well, aren't fratricidal conflicts always the worst? It's because in these situations another person's definition of themselves impinges on your definition of yourself. Hence, women who resent what Palin stands for resent her even more because they worry that it partly defines their image.

That said, there has been some clearly unwarranted criticism (that of her working whilst raising 5 kids is especially ironic, considering I thought that was one of the staple demands of equality). However, I think much of the sneering stems from our superior attitude to the American heartland, which Palin represents. The majority of British people look down on middle America, and thus see her as just another one of them. The woman aspect adds another dimension, but I think isn't the deciding one for people's condescending tone.

Verity

Joe Camel - Interesting post. My earlier post isn't up yet, but I address some of the same issues.

Yes ... two women in 2012. Frankly, I don't see it. VP Palin will be well-embedded by then, and will have been a successful, high profile VP.

Hillary and Bill - by 2012, voices from the past. It will have been 11 years since they left the White House. The political landscape will have changed. They will have lost a lot of influence in Washington as their contemporaries retired. I don't think she is by any means a shoo-in for the 2012 nomination. There will be new stars on the horizon by then who will appeal to the younger voters as well. I don't think she has a following among the younger crowd.

For 2012, I am looking forward to a Sarah Palin-Bobby Jindal ticket, and that will keep the Reps in office for another eight years.

By that time, hopefully, the left will have been defeated in the United States.

BCS

Verity: if being Governor of Alaska is a 24/7 job that prevents its incumbent from considering foreign policy seriously and expressing views on it, perhaps McCain should not have chosen a Governor of Alaska as his VP candidate, given that she might very soon (if the worst happen) have to be running the foreign policy of the world's most powerful nation. ''Understand, the Vice Presidency of the United States is not a bloody executive position.'' Well all Palin's much-trumpeted executive experience as Mayor and Governor might not come in quite so useful after all then?
By emphasising the VP role you also disregard the fact that she might be obliged to take over the Presidency at any time - a possibility that is especially acute in this case because of McCain's age and health.
Gil: I completely agree that Palin is a very impressive woman. In a few years' time she may even be an eminently worthy candidate for high national office. My point is simply that at this moment she has not gained enough experience in national politics, or formed cogent enough views on national or international issues, to be qualified.

Verity

Arbie - "Hence, women who resent what Palin stands for resent her even more because they worry that it partly defines their image."

Er, no. Women who resent her dislike her for the same reason as men who resent her: her politics.

Arbie - The mean-spirited, envious Brits hate her for her blithe attitude to freedom. For captaining her own ship without regard to the government - meaning she and her family - her father was a science teacher, by the way - have always hoed their own furrow without reference to assistance agencies. They also hate guns in the hands of private citizens, because guns mean freedom from state control. I suggest you not try to define "what women think" or what motivates them, Arbie. Stay well away from this subject.

People should beware, because she is beautiful, of thinking this gal does not have a will of iron. As many chief executives do - and it is the smart thing to do - she had a clear out when she became governor. This caused a lot of resentment, as it always does, but now she is running for Vice President, those people who feel they were hard done by have a nice big, well lit platform.

Hysteria

a key issue that could kill the Palin story is honesty - she presents herself as the straight talking ethical "I amon your side" politician.

But the bridge to nowhere story is an issue - and the "I sold the plane on ebay" may not be quite as presented either. A pundit (democrat) on CNN just asserted that they did not get a sale on ebay and in the end the jet was sold to a republican party supporter at a loss.

Marian C

Verity & Conservative Cabbie - I stand corrected over Sarah Palin's University; but I was correct about the rest.

Verity

BCS - You have been drinking too much stupid, I'm afraid, and should lay off for the rest of the day.

You've changed what you originally wrote. Here is what you wrote just now: "if being Governor of Alaska is a 24/7 job that prevents its incumbent from considering foreign policy seriously and expressing views on it, perhaps McCain should not have chosen a Governor of Alaska as his VP candidate,..."

In your original post, you opined that she should have, in the past, as the Governor of Alaska, which is a 24/7 job, have taken the time out from her duty of governing the state to write academic papers on foreign policy. In God's name, why?

Did you understand when I wrote that the VP has absolutely nothing, nada, rien to do with foreign policy? Did you understand the point that foreign policy is not in the VP's remit? Did you miss that point yet again?

Reagan, Kennedy, Truman and most others not so outstanding whose names have powdered into dust, were actual presidents who had no foreign policy experience when they came to office as PRESIDENT - not Vice President - and they changed the world.

No, thanks professor, but I didn't "overlook" the fact that the Vice President automatically becomes the President in the event of the demise of the President. I know all this, thanks.

McCain's health, by the way, is A-1. He had a bout of skin cancer years ago and no reoccurences. That's it as far as his health goes. BTW, did you clock his 96 year old mother at the Convention? Didn't she look grand? And vivacious! Apparently, she's a real kick to be around. Her mind's as quick as a cat. Pounce!

"My point is simply that at this moment she has not gained enough experience in national politics, or formed cogent enough views on national or international issues, to be qualified." She. is. not. in. national. politics. She is the chief executive of the largest and richest state in America. I cannot be bothered to refute your views. There is no arguing with ignorance and you are completely ignorant of the American system.

I would point out one last thing before I scroll down through any future posts from you, the President of the United States has a cadre of top foreign policy experts, chosen by him, whose entire job is to keep abreast of every bloody thing happening on earth and analyse it for the President, and advise him if he asks for it. This goes for whether the President has been in office for seven years or seven minutes.

Over and out.

Verity

Arbie - I suggest you save your energy for sorting out the squalid, non-accountable mess of incompetence and vendettas in the British government before turning your forensic attention to the governance of the richest, most powerful and most successful country on the face of the earth. And just to think. They did it all without you.

The Happy Carbon Footprint

Hysteria - CNN HATES her. They are even picking up "news" from Kos, which is now lifting stories from anti-Palin sites that are going up in one day, linking to as many sites as they can, and being dismantled the next day. There's money behind this smear campaign.

Go to Foxnews.com

Matthew Blott

@ Verity, and others

I hear the term "leftie" a lot, usually with people that do not take your point of view. What is a "leftie", I'm genuinely curious? Its obviously a term of abuse but it sounds silly and has as much meaning as shouting "fascist" at someone because they hold a slightly right-of-centre viewpoint.

rightwingprof

"So like Boris I'm backing Obama."

Here's an idea. Why don't you start a letter writing campaign to voters in swing states over here, and smugly tell us who we should vote for? That should work quite well.

Verity

Right Wing Prof - Ha ha ha ha ha! V good.

Why certainly, Matthew Blott - Lefties are of the left. They believe in theft. Steal from the employed wealth creators and give it to the non-productive beggar classes in return for votes.

There's more, but that's it in a nutshell.

Obama is losing it. Yesterday, he gave an interview - quickly correctly himself, but nevertheless he said it, about how he had been affected "since I became president".

Today, he suddenly, out of the blue, remembered that he "almost joined the Army". Or as he put it, "... the Army ... the military" - perhaps in case anyone thought he was referring to the Salvation Army. Today, also, he referred in a TV interview - fortunately for him, it was CNN so they corrected him really quickly - he referred to "my Muslim faith".

Obama is falling apart before our very eyes. The bloom is way off the rose. It was always destined to end like this.

Conservative Cabbie

Verity:

Interested in your idea of a Palin-Jindal ticket, i'm not sure what Jindal would bring to such a ticket except for doubling down on the competence arguement.
How about Charlie Crist as a possibility. Wins Florida possibly, and further confuses Liberals because it would be a Republican party bringing the frirst gay to washington. God, the liberals would have apoplexies, it would be hilarious.

TGF UKIP

One thing which sure should be giving you pause for some thought, Fraser, is not just the fierce admiration and loyalty which Sarah Palin has plainly evoked in most Coffee Housers but what almost transparently underlies it. She's a plain, straightforward, unapologetic conservative of conviction a species rarely seen in public in this country -hence the barely disguised yearning.

And Ian C, I'm just surprised that you're surprised that so many Tories (about a third of the parliamentary party are supporting Obama and the Democrats. Why on earth wouldn't one bunch of tax and spend SocDems support another.
And while the Pusillanimous Pair can't indicate their preference be sure they'll be rooting for Obama too.

Just imagine how embarrassing it's going to be for them if McCain and Palin are cutting spending and taxes and articulating a conservative programme over there while over here Blue Labour continues with social democracy where Real Labour left off.

Arbie

Verity.
First up: Arbie - "Hence, women who resent what Palin stands for resent her even more because they worry that it partly defines their image."
“Er, no. Women who resent her dislike her for the same reason as men who resent her: her politics.”
Er, yes, which is exactly why I prefaced the second half of that sentence with, oh, the first half! Women who dislike her dislike her for her politics, that much is obvious. But the venom which then arises with regard to issues such as her family or other issues surrounding her gender feminists tends to come from women, as Fraser notes in his post. And I would argue that, as with other fratricidal conflicts, this is because these women dislike what Palin stands for as a woman, as well as her other politics.
Secondly, you say I should stop trying to define what women think. Why? Am I unable to comment on women just because I’m not one? That would certainly close down a lot of debate, including you and your lectures. Should you stop defining Brits as mean-spirited and envious just because you’re not one (I must say, it is tempting to ask you to)? Telling someone to “stay well away from that subject” is nearing censorship, no? And there I was thinking that you liked freedom.

Lastly, for you point that the US is “the richest, most powerful and most successful country on the face of the earth.” Yes, we know that. Does that somehow mean that just because a country has a greater GDP than mine that comment is somehow not allowed? It would be a shame if the US lost its ability for self-criticism and open discussion.

BCS

Verity, I think you are rather too excitable to accuse others of drinking too much. I seem to recall observing in my post that Palin would be elevated to the Presidency if anything happened to McCain. Presumably you would agree that in these circumstances a little foreign policy knowledge and experience might be useful? Your point of Reagan etc. is interesting. Reagan, despite his lack of experience per se, articulated an extremely clear and rather daring approach to foreign for years before becoming President (e.g. during his 1976 run). Kennedy had been on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and had written a thesis on British foreign policy whilst at Harvard. Truman had been Vice-President for a year, and came to office at a time when previous experience was being rendered obsolete very quickly. Palin does not compare with any of them.
As for your assertion that she is not in national politics - she most certainly is now she is a VP candidate, and as such ought to have some experience or interest in it.
I think your view of the importance of appointed Presidential advisors is a little exalted. Surely the President, as the elected official, ought to be more than the empty vessel into which her advisors pour their wisdom.

To Right-wing Prof: I believe that the Guardian, without irony, did precisely this, sending letters to Ohio in 2004. As you say it worked quite well.

T F Bundy

molesworth 1 wrote "I'm sick and tired of public policy being determined by people who believe any sort of mumbo-jumbotionalist hogwash- vote Dawkins!"
Or better still, vote Stalin! Or vote Mao! Or vote Pol Pot!

BCS

Arbie - I completely agree.

Ian C

Good shot TGF! Boris and the MP who was quoted in the press as being a long time Hillary suporter were a bit of an eye opener. However, we are more Social Democratic in the UK and have to work our way out of it having been hijacked by Blair in 1997 (instead of not having killed it off in 19912 by electing Kinnock).

Thomass

"including presentational ones."

Great post.

I would just say, considering McCain might win and she might follow as a future president (re: 12-16 years of her being around)... Brits (ok, lefty Brits) have to get over judging Americans on stupid things like regional accents (al la Bush). Some of your accents sound odd to our ears too BTW.

I'd also throw in believing in God. Some people still do, deal with it.

Otherwise, you'll probably give yourselves high blood pressure. Think of the overworked NHS.

Gil

Verity, Obama is a very bright fellow, that's for sure. In his interview on ABC when he referred (gratefully) to McCain not mentioning 'my Muslim faith', he couldn't have REALLY said 'my so-called/alleged muslim faith' because that would have been derogatory. I don't believe it was a Freudian slip or a simple error due to fatigue. It was calculated, but not as many are now claiming - that he is actually a Muslim not a Christian.

Michael Sweeney

I watched the film Juno last night. It was sassy, concerned with sex, littered with bad language. But the fundamental joy of the movie was the teenage heroine (younger than Bristol Palin) had the baby, gave it up for adoption and decided she loved the father and wanted to be with him. It was, to coin a phrase, 'pro-life'. I doubt those behind the film would consider themselves Republicans. But when democrat feminists have a go at Palin they fail to realise that many of us see a family that most of us will recognise in action and rejoice in it. That resonates. Nasty objections to them do not either in the US or UK. As others have commented,there is a lesson here for conservatives in the UK. Those generous souls on the left should wake up to this too. To his credit, Obama's response has been spot on as far as I can see. Pity about our 'liberal'commentariat though.

Verity

Arbie - I'm British and I'll be voting. Your comments about women are foolish and stereotyped. The spitting fury that accompanies some of the comments are nothing to do with women generally, but are from Hillaryites. Their heroine was robbed and is now being replaced by someone who is not worthy to step into her holy shoes. Obama. This is one discrete group of women and you cannot derive even inferences, never mind conclusions from this group.

Comment about the US all you like. I do. But I do so from the standpoint of having lived and worked there and having a group of friends who were/are all Americans, as were my workmates. We're all on the phone constantly over this campaign.

I wouldn't be motivated to censor anyone. I just wish you people would say something pertinent instead of seeing everything through the prism of a tiny, clapped out country that has ceded its freedoms one by one, without a fight, for the past 20 years.

BCS - "Truman had been Vice-President for a year, ". Presumably, and hopefully, Governor Palin will be a Vice President longer than that and will have absorbed several times as much knowledge of foreign affairs ALTHOUGH THAT THIS NOT HER REMIT. Ronald Reagan hadn't been a Vice President and neither had John Kennedy, who came to the right decision over Cuba. And we know that Reagan ended the Cold War - with Mrs Thatcher by his side.

" think your view of the importance of appointed Presidential advisors is a little exalted." He should go to Rwanda himself? In disguise? Why "exalted"??? Do you think you know more about them than I do?

BTW, Sarah Palin visited the wounded Alaska Guard in Landstuhl Military Hospital in Germany one year before Obama got the idea, then dumped the notion because the hospital wouldn't allow him to take his photographic and TV entourage in. She went in with the one military photographer assigned to her.

She also visited the Alaskan National Guard in Kuwait. Low key.

Your opinions about the motivations of women are foolish. Why don't you go and study cricket statistics like the other boys?

Hysteria

Verity - Today, also, he referred in a TV interview - fortunately for him, it was CNN so they corrected him really quickly - he referred to "my Muslim faith".

if this is true it should be all over the blogoshpere and on talk-radio. Did it make it to Youtube?

Fascinating if true......

gordon-bennett

The feminist lefties are incandescent about Sarah Palin because she will simultaneously mess up 2 cherished ambitions which they thought they had within their grasp.

Now, the first woman Vice-President will not be a Democrat and the democrats' black candidate will not be the first black President.

Now that's what I call a double whammy.

Joe Camel

Quote: "Obama is a very bright fellow, that's for sure." (Gil, today at 9:33 p.m.)

Bright, certainly, but not always quick. Reading a prepared speech, few surpass him. But when he’s improvising he is accident-prone. Remember the Obama ghost story a few months ago? He opened his Memorial Day speech in the aptly-named Las Cruces, New Mexico, with the spine-chilling words: "On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes ¯ and I see many of them in the audience here today ¯ . . ."

My hunch: the “my Muslim faith” quote was probably just another blunder rather than a carefully crafted avoidance of pitfalls.

Verity

Yes, I think it's on YouTube. Anyway, it's on LGF, but even those sniggering do agree that he was referring to the accusations of others. I don't think it's that serious. Then he said he'd almost joined the Army - why was this never mentioned before, given how gung-ho Americans feel about their armed forces? Does he feel it slip, slip, slippin' away? I think so. (It was on Little Green Footballs, by the way. It was linked by one of the commentors. Some other good links on LGF today.)

Palin's apparently going to do an interview with ABC, but they haven't announced the time. I thought it was supposed to be tonight, but went to the site and nothing. (The polls are on 48% McCain, 45% Obama just now.)

Verity

Hysteria, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGMQ5DpVVTM

Charles says he does not believe for a minute that Obama made a Freudian slip and was saying he is a Muslim, but that this clip simply shows how rattled he is. And I think he is right. And Obama looks simply awful. It's all coming apart.

Hysteria

watching the Fox program filmed with SP at the start of the year - interesting as it gives the answer to some of the sniping (eg this is well before any consideration od VP)

eg - she is wearing the same glasses - they are not some contrivance of the GOP spin machine

eg - her daughter Bristol is named after the area her husband lived (as if the naming of her kids matters - but the socialists brought it up so lets knock it down)

quote - "aggressive, intelligent, courgeous" -

thought - if we can get foreigners in to manage our football team, why can't we bring in an outsider to manage GB PLC !!

PS Verity - thanks for the links

Joe Camel

Verity, Charles Gibson of ABC is going to spend a couple of days in Alaska, probably Thursday and Friday, doing the interviews, but no date has yet been set for the program to go on the air. That is what it says in the papers, including this one:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/palin-interview-goes-to-abc-news/

Nick Kaplan

Verity- “Lefties are of the left. They believe in theft. Steal from the employed wealth creators and give it to the non-productive beggar classes in return for votes.” A truly fantastic summary that had me laughing out loud! Would you mind if I were to use it in the future?

Nick Kaplan

BCS said: “Truman had been Vice-President for a year, and came to office at a time when previous experience was being rendered obsolete very quickly. Palin does not compare with any of them.”

Are you forgetting that Palin is running for VP not the President? Surely this proves the exact opposite of your point; i.e. Palin compares very well with Truman seeing as she will learn whilst being VP as Truman presumably did. It also seems ludicrous to assume Palin must now be qualified to do the job of President because McCain is 72, Reagan was 73 when he won his second term (and remained energetic throughout his tenure). A better contrast would be between those great leaders you listed and Obama who has no experience, nothing, nada.

Verity

Nick Kaplan, very gracious, sir, and of course you are free to use it.

Joe Camel and Hysteria ... How are you getting these programmes? When I go to Fox News, it trails the Palin piece, and I go there at the advertised time, and there's no sign of it! Can you let me know, Joe Camel, when the ABC piece is running?

Many thanks.

Verity

I felt that you all, especially those with a sense of humour, would enjoy knowing that, according to Drudge, the august New York Times is "preparing an exposé on the Palins' baby". That the lefty media are moonbats is folk wisdom by now, but this has to be the best yet. But the most telling part is they are "preparing" the report. How much digging does an investigative story on a 5-month old baby take? That dull thud is the sound of the BBC kicking themselves because they didn't think of it first.

Fergus Pickering

A lefty or loony lefty is what right wing people call left wing people just as fascist or fascist pig is what left wing people call right wing people. It's quite simple. I thought everybody knew it.

Hereford

Verity 1st post. They hate her because she has demonstrated the specioius nature of their argument. She is not downtrodden by men. She is proof positive that a woman can do anything a man can do without the benefit of positive action. And most importantly, she removes the entitlement to victimhood that all leftie feminists love to hold so closely to their downtrodden breasts.

Hereford

BTW has anyone else noticed that the panels on Any Questions are getting far less adversarial lately. May be just my imagination, but it seems to me that they are more often than not made up of a pretty broad left-wing consensus.

Certainly there has been far more agreement than disagreement lately. Much less interesting to listen to.

JONNY

You know I find it very intriguing.
All these words of wisdom from Verity, mixed with Cassandra prophecies, and we've only just started to roll.
Only somebody quite stupid would call the Election this day. This week. This month - or the next month either.
Watch this space Verity.
You might just learn something that will amaze you.

Ted Tedford

A weekend away, and the Palin-inspired derangement doesn't get any more informed, or moderate. More great posts from Verity; more regurgitation of MSM talking points from so, so many others...

Glad someone else has finally picked up on her first gubernatorial veto - this does more than anything else to refute the slurs, not that mere facts about her governing record should obstruct the creation of a MSM orthodoxy.

I find it staggering that anyone with at least a passing any interest in democracy - as opposed to Politics - would think working from a PTA to a mayor's post to a governor's post with an 80% approval rating would be a *dis*qualification. This is politics as it should be: someone who has an instinctive and demonstrable connection with her constituents working her way up by virtue of her own character, instincts and hard work. Would that this were so in Britain, where so much local government is a mix of sixth-form common room debate and gesture environmentalism. Astonishing.

But keep it up, liberals and MSM. The nastiness, pettiness, bigotry and plain old wrongness of the 'critique' (if it might be so dignified) so far is backfiring, and pretty convincingly. I am more and more confident that the Obama-MSM ticket will wake up in November spluttering "But *we* don't know *any*body who voted McCain-Palin..."

Verity

Jonny - "Watch this space Verity.
You might just learn something that will amaze you."

Barack Obama is Martin Luther King's love child with Gloria Steinem?

Hysteria

Verity - where are you watching? If you are taking a UK Feed you will not be getting the same coverage as here in the States - best bet will be to hit their websites I guess?

Verity

Hysteria, " best bet will be to hit their websites I guess?"

Gosh! Thanks! I hadn't thought of accessing their websites! I was trying to pick up their programmes by telepathy! I now realise how foolish that was!

No. I'm not in Britain. Had I been operating on British time, I wouldn't have been trying to access US news programmes starting at 8 p.m. Eastern. I watched Sarah Palin at the Convention live. I'm in N America.

Incidentally, last night my time I sent in a newsflash that LGF had broken a story, via Drudge, that the NY Times was doing an "exposé" on four month-old Trig Palin.

My post went down the cyberspace drainpipe, so I don't have to correct it. But the correction is so interesting, I will anyway. Far from an exposé, the NYT is doing a puff piece on Sarah Palin ... I don't know why, but I find this reversal in the natural order of things rather alarming ...

David Lindsay

“To the rest of the world, she’s an exotic”, the American Stryker Maguire graciously informed “the rest of the world” in The Observer.

“She is a fundamentalist Christian”, apparently, although that term is not defined, and by any reckoning there are plenty of those in “the rest of the world”.

“She advocated teaching creationism alongside evolution in Alaska’s schools”, except of course that she never did any such thing.

“Her right to life convictions extend to stem cell research, which she opposes”? Really? This is presumably a reference to embryonic stem cell “research”, which has never yielded the slightest result and shows no sign of ever doing so, whereas ethically unproblematic adult stem cell research really does deliver the goods. Whatever happened to science?

Catholics, Orthodox, Evangelicals, Muslims and all the other opponents of stem cell “research” make up really quite a sizeable proportion of “the rest of the world”. Add in, among others, Orthodox Jews (also mostly pro-life, Joe Lieberman and Robert Winston notwithstanding) and America’s particularly numerous Conservative Jews, and rather a lot of “the rest of the world” is also “opposed to gay marriage”.

If “She does not believe that human behaviour is responsible for global warming”, not in the least, then it is true that she is in pretty limited company, although of course that need not necessarily make her wrong. But out here in “the rest of the world”, there are plenty of us who share her real view, a synthesis of observation that human behaviour is not the only cause and determination that the people of the developing world shall not be denied their chance to develop, that travel (never mind heat or light) shall not be re-restricted to the rich, and that there shall be high-wage, high-skilled, high-status jobs for our own workers, not least as the economic basis for the position of many of them as the patriarchs of households and communities.

I bet it is not true that “She supports home schooling and other alternatives to traditional state education” on principle, but rather that she supports the traditional state education that, for example, can now be accessed over here almost exclusively in the local fee-charging days schools, or by sending one’s children to live with any relatives in the Caribbean. She will find many a very loud echo in “the rest of the world”.

“In praying that a natural gas pipeline would be built in Alaska, she used traditional Evangelical language”? Oh, the horror, the horror! Nobody ever prays, still less uses “traditional Evangelical language”, in “the rest of the world”. Of course not.

Still, “she kept a campaign pledge not to push as governor for mandatory inclusion of creationism in her state’s school curriculum”. In other words, contrary to Maguire’s previous assertion, she never did “advocate teaching creationism alongside evolution in Alaska’s schools”.

And although “Palin has said she would not force her views on others” (then why contest an election?), “she cannot pretend always to divorce her personal views from matters of state and governance.” Unlike politicians such as are more favoured by Stryker Maguire, of course.

What a thing it must be to live entirely in an environment in which the presuppositions are so entrenched as to be invisible from the inside. How very, very sad. So to live is indeed to be “an exotic”. But it is only possible if one has absolutely no contact whatever with “the rest of the world”.

Craig Strachan

Verity: "She is the chief executive of the largest and richest state in America. "

Alaska is of course the second smallest state by population, and is in the bottom ten by Gross State Product.

Verity

Not once they open up the drilling for oil and natural gas. Then, it's Katy-bar-the-door!

joe blow

Arkansas is a pretty backward state. Unlike Alaska, it's in the south for heaven's sake. Didn't stop Clinton from molesting young girls in the White House though.

Archie

As someone posted elsewhere; this is a formidable woman. Her foes underestimate her at their peril!

Chas.

Good lord. What a silly article.

1. I don't think anyone who isn't totally biased "demand(s) that a woman going for VP needs a longer CV than a man going for the presidency". What most people would like to see is a similar level of engagement and understanding of the issues.
2.I'm sure people will stop "focussing" on SP's "maternal status" when she does.
3."You can bet she wouldn’t have made the same objection of a Muslim or a Jew". Umm... she might have done (and I certainly would) if they were trying to get their beliefs taught as "Science".

This article spends its time "softly sneering" at feminism, despite the fact that Mrs. Palin has (oddly) described herself as such. Their "bigotry" and "sexism", such as it is, is probably provoked by the fact that they feel that Mrs. Palin, with her reactionary attitudes and banal platitudes, is setting their cause back thirty years.

styles

Osama Obama Is a one - termer.Palin will have her work cut out for her cleaning up Barack's messes .