Gov. Sarah Palin. Watching this wonderful woman, I’m at a loss at how any woman can dislike her or hate her or root for her to fail.
There are a number of bloggers here on docweaselblog and we come from disparate backgrounds and have differing opinions. The guys kind of run the blog most of the time, but the girls have a very strong opinion too and I’m breaking out tonight.
First, let me say, I’m an Independent 24 year old woman living in the South. I’m a slightly left leaning moderate on social issues. I support abortion rights, even though I think abortion is barbaric I can’t see imprisoning women for doing it. I support gay rights, gay marriage I don’t feel strongly about either way, I don’t see why civil unions isn’t enough if it’s legally the same,
I guess they want to help take the social stigma away from gayness at the expense of traditional man-woman weddings, I can’t support that “in your face” kind of stuff. I’m very pro-immigrant and support amnesty.
I don’t care for Hillary but would support her because I admit it, I’m really a booster of women in politics. And for that reason, I’m nuts about Palin and I’m a total Palin fan and I’m rooting for her with my whole heart and soul.
Some thoughts on the Palin interview tonight:
The job of the interviewer should be to help us understand the positions, policies and stands on the issues of the candidates. So many of Gibson’s, and many interviewers these days, questions are the “when did you stop beating your wife” type, or like he is just spouting off his opinion instead of really asking a question. It’s so annoying. I also hate the fluff questions. Just get on with the policy questions Charlie, ok?
CSPAN interview, 02.28.08
People are criticizing her for not being Ms. Smooth and totally gliding through the interview: Come on now. Being able to ace interviews isn’t necessarily proof you can govern. Sports figures give great interviews. Bubbleheaded movie stars give great interviews. Giving a great interview just means you are at ease giving interviews. You think some of our great leaders in the past would be comfortable and glib in interviews? I don’t think it proves jack.
What I do think is relevant is how she performs under pressure. The campaign is the only real test we have of how they might perform in a crisis. You must admit, Obama has had his share of gaffes and in some of the debates he’s been a bit flustered. He’s been at this for 19 months, she’s been at it for 2 weeks. Before this, she was actually doing her job (I’d have to say, if I were an Illini resident I’d be a little miffed one of our Senators had been MIA for half the time he’s been in there).
I think she did fine, and she’ll get better. I think she was a bit scripted and McCain’s people need to let her off the leash a bit, she’ll do better when she can answer honestly. I’ve seen interviews with her on vid before she was picked, and she has a great command of the issues, she’s confident and exudes control and leadership. She is a very astute mind on the issue of energy. IMHO if they are elected, McCain should put her in charge of energy policy and developing alternatives while at the same time using more of the USA’s resources that are currently forbidden. She gave a really fantastic interview about this, I could probably find it on YouTube, very intelligent and with great command of the material.
CNBC interview
I think her main problem tonight was trying to follow a pre-arranged script the McCain handlers forced on her. She needs to get off that.
For example, Hillary is the smoothest interviewee ever. She’d have aced it. She has all the issues mastered, she knows it chapter and verse. She doesn’t hesitate and she never gaffes as far as policy questions go. She comes across as a bit pedantic at times, but so does Bill, they talk down sometimes.
But jeez she’s been giving big interviews for 20 years. You can’t read too much into giving a great interview. Paul Newman gives a fantastic interview, but that doesn’t mean he should be president. I’d wager harry Truman would have given a terrible interview, but eh was a great president.
I think we’re microanalyzing all this because we are looking for clues about her since we don’t know her. You have to watch out for trying to glean too much information out of too little data. We need 20 interviews to start getting a picture of this lady.
And we’ll get them. And we’ll get her on Meet the Press and 60 Mins and print interviews and televised speeches and the debates. I have no problem with that. I think she’s capable and find the people questioning her qualifications or fitness for office silly. Really, when you get down to it, she’s more qualified than Hillary or Obama. It’s a fact. She got elected to both mayor and Governor on her own hook, with no husband politician and no “mentor” or Chicago political machine shepherding her through uncontested elections, she had no money behind her like Pelosi and no famous daddy politician.
So she’s plenty capable, and I happen to think she’ll be our first woman president, I just feel it.
I’m so excited by all this hoopla I’m just giddy! Of course I wish she were a moderate Democrat instead of a Republican, but I just can’t seem to care, I’m just so stoked that a woman is in there playing the game. I can’t help but wish her well and root for her with all my heart. Tonight I was watching with bated breath at every answer and just praying and urging her to do well with my mind. There’s so much riding on it. I feel like if she fails, people will say “see, women can’t measure up, she failed just like Hillary failed when crunch time came” and I so don’t want her to fail.
I know identity politics sucks, but I’m completely immersed in this. I want the woman in the race to do well and give as good as she gets. I’m crazy angry when I read unfair attacks and I’m giddy happy when she does well. I’m just so invested in this. Yes, it’s because she’s a woman, I admit it. I can’t help it. I want US to do well, and I don’t care how many lectures I get about abortion rights and all the rest.
I know she is the antithesis of many many issues that are supposed to be the “woman’s side” and feminists like Steinem and the NOW girls hate her guts, but I just feel so excited seeing a woman giving these interviews and how juiced everyone is about her and her triumphant rallies. I’m sorry but I’m just thrilled to death and rooting for her wtih all my heart. I’d definitely go to see her and if I had a daughter I’d bring her and show her what women can rise to.
I just don’t have it in me to wish this woman ill or root against her. I’m caught up in it, maybe because I’m so disillusioned and sad about Hillary not making it, I’m just so upbeat and happy for the first time since Super Tuesday I think, I’m really having fun and interested in the news and kind of passionate about someone again. I could give 2 flips about McCain, but I like Palin so much it’s kind of turned me off on Obama because I can’t stand to see anyone unfairly (by my lights, anyway) criticize her, it’s like they are attacking all women to me!
I know you’ll say I have reverse PDS, but it’s how I feel. I’m just so happy she’s in there fighting, it’s really something instead of 4 stupid MEN like always. I’m too young for Ferrarro so this is my first experience with a woman rising so high and she might actually be our first PRESIDENT. I’m just thrilled beyond words. I don’t even care for party. My XX has taken over.
I think Gibson really likes her and as such he was pretty kind to her. He had a script of hard questions, but he put stuff in such a folksy, “we’re just talking here” way that it was almost impossible Palin would make a major, shocking gaffe.
That may be her strength, she is very likable and warm and I think she charmed Gibson, besides which he has scored a major coup with this interview and of course he’s grateful, plus they have 2 more nights to go. He may cut loose and let her have it on the last night!
I thought she stammered a bit here and there but I was rooting for her and I don’t think she made any gaffes. She’s under tremendous pressure, but I agree that if you are going to be president, you need to show you can handle a TV interview, if you can’t, how can you handle Putin. On that score, I think she’s coming along.
Frankly, I don’t see Obama as any more prepared, he’s just a lot better at giving interviews. I really like her honesty and her REALNESS. I just feel I can trust her and believe in her, even if I don’t agree with everything she says.
I’m very interested to see if she agrees with McCain on immigrant amnesty. I’m HUGE On amnesty because I have relatives who it directly affects. I’m for fairness in immigration policy. I basically believe EVERY SINGLE PERSON who wants to be an American (except criminals and potential terrorists) should have a PATH to being one, in a fair, timely fashion and at a nominal, low cost.
I’m at odds with a lot of my friends on this.
You should have an immigration thread, there hasn’t been much talk about it in the campaign so far.
Yeah, some of her answers were obviously scripted. And she would repeat herself, like that is the answer I’m supposed to give and I’m going no further, like the Israel answer, and that bothered me.
But she is probably under orders what to answer and she doesn’t want to blow it. After she finds her legs and the pressure is off I think she’ll loosen up and we’ll get to hear HER answers instead of the ones she’s been drilled with flashcards on.