A split between McCain and Palin that helps the ticket
James Forsyth 6:37pm
When a running mate is selected the press, rightly, set about finding where the two parts of the ticket differ. These differences can often be politically problematic but I suspect that the McCain camp will actually be pleased by the news that Palin takes a more liberal position than McCain and the Republican platform on sex education.
Palin is in such strong standing with evangelicals for her stance not to be a problem with them and it also offers her some protection against the next attack on her, which will be about how she is a ‘social issues extremist’. Indeed, combined with the report today in the New York Times that she moved church because she wanted somewhere where the ministry was less “extreme” it suggests that caricaturing her is going to be harder than some people expect it to be.
Craig Strachan
September 6th, 2008 7:44pm Report this commentPalin's religion is irrelevant, as is her stance on social issues. The U.S. is moving inexorably in a socially liberal direction, and nothing can be done at the presidential to prevent that. (Watch California vote down the anti-gay marriage Prop 8 in NovO).
I am much more concerned about what her record as mayor and governor says about how she might govern as president, and nothing I see there suggests she would be any different from the big government, high-spending, corporate welfarists who masquerade as conservatives here in the U.S.
Craig Strachan
September 6th, 2008 7:46pm Report this comment(BTW her maiden name, aptly enough, is Heath.)
Ross
September 6th, 2008 7:48pm Report this comment"caricaturing her is going to be harder than some people expect it to be. "
Only if they're interested in facts, which clearly most of her detractors are not.
TGF UKIP
September 6th, 2008 11:20pm Report this commentThe more interesting divide on which the media and the Dems may pick away is "climate Change."
McCain has been representing himself as not just a believer but a crusader whereas she is much more hard-headed and sceptical (and good for her too - I think I'm falling in love!)
However, if the opposition do choose to make an issue of the difference between them it just might enable Old John to do a quick shoe shuffle and emphasize their credentials as the "Drilling Party." Back to $2 gas might just be a handy campaign target.
Ali
September 7th, 2008 6:51am Report this commentHow is it that Palin who is anti-abortion and pro abstinence only sex education is more liberal than McCain?
The McCain Palin ticket opposes just about every issue that liberal women support. Palin believes that creationism should be taught in public schools and disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control and supports government control of women’s wombs; she opposes stem cell research and approves “abstinence-only” programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers’ millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn’t spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. Republicans want to make the Bush tax cuts permanent which give much larger breaks to the wealthiest people in our country. Obama's plan will reduces taxes on the lower and average income citizens.
John McCain chose party over country by selecting Palin, she isn’t qualified to be VP.
Republicans may tout Palin as a candidate of change but a change of gender does not equal a change in policy or direction for America.
Vote for McCain/Palin and you will have 4 more years and WORSE of what we have gotten over the past 8 years. WARS and INFLATION and increasingly expensive health care. Come on people. THINK!
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