VP debate moderator wrote book on Obama

I'm not surpirsed that the person set to moderate the debate tomorrow night between Palin and Bidin has a book about Obama set to released on inaugeration day. I'm not surpirsed at all.

I think most Americans pretty much are aware that there is a slim chance of a person who leans to the right, or has a rightward bias, to moderate one of these debates, unless the debate happened to be on Fox News.

Even on Fox, though, there would at least be a 50-50 chance.

Personally I couldn't care less about personal bias so long as the moderator can keep it out of her quetions.

McCain did not know about Gwen Ifill's book that "sheds new light on the impact of Barack Obama's stunning presidential campaign," according to the Drudge Report.

I bet Obama did. Oh, well, we are talking about a debate on TV, where 75% of the moderators are going to be liberal leaning anyway.

I suppose that 75% is a conservative number in itself. Oh well, what can we do about it anyway other than not watch.

It's fishy though that this comes out now.

Sarah Palin is a gift to America

The media has been lambasting Sarah Palin the past few days. They have questioned her ability to raise a family and lead a nation.

However, as Rudy Guliani said in his speech, they never ask that of a man.

Which is true. I have heard nothing from the media about Obama not being able to lead and raise a family.

They also criticize her experience. They wonder if she is qualified to be president. It is true that republicans have said the same thing about Obama.

I've said this before and I will say it again: Any good, honest, trustworthy American is qualified to be president. It does not take a politician, a great general, or a lawyer to be president. Any person can do that job and do it well.

If nothing else, many of our founding fathers are proof of that. Many of them had minimal if any experience in their respective jobs, and most of them seemed to have pulled off what they did pretty well.

Obama can step in just as well into the office of president as Palin, as well as you or I could step into that job. It does not take a rocket scientist to be president.

What it does take is character.

And character is something McCain has.

Which brings me back to the Palin speech last night. I think that she pulled it off quite remarkably. I think a lot of people, particularly republicans, were worried of whether or not she could pull it off, particularly considering she has never given a speech in front of this many people before.

I like to think of it this way. Biden, McCain and Obama have been at this for two years now. Palen was not even on the scene last week at this time. She basically took off at a standstill tonight, and is now right up there with those other big guys.

In a sense, I wonder if there is a precedent for someone coming completely out of no where to hit a home run in her first ever speech -- which so happened to be at a major party convention.

I imagine the Obama campaign was ready to pounce if she would have stuttered. But she did not. She hit a home run. The conservative base loved her. They are riled up now.

She is a true trooper. She went out there tonight in true traditional role of the VP and took some shots at her opponents, setting the stage for McCain tomorrow night to talk about the policy he is going to enact when he is president.

Because of Palin, he does not have to come out swinging.

And that picture of the Palin family on the stage after her speech was absolutely priceless. That is the one moment in this campaign that might really stand out above all others.

Not to sound like a pun here, but she makes McCain look good. She is a fresh face in this race that simply brings new life to this whole election process. She has reinvigorated the McCain campaign.

She has tact. She blends in humor amidst her spoken words like another great orator of our time: the Great Ronald Reagan.

What she showed last night is she is a gifted speaker.

She is a gift to McCain. She is a gift to republicans.

She is a gift to America.

McCain VP more experienced than Obama

I woke up today and learned that Sarah Palin is McCains VP pick. The first thing I heard about her was that she is younger than Obama and less experienced. But she is not less experienced.

I'll get to that in a moment.

I was rather stunned considering I expected McCain to be more conservative with his pick and go with Romney or Pawlenty.

Khaki Elephant first brought my attention to her a few days ago as he wrote why he thought she would be the best pick for VP. I'm very impressed, Khaki. You called it first.

She does not bring in a swing state. However, I believe it was former Clinton Adviser Dick Morris who said in a recent column that a VP should not be picked with the intent of winning a state, because this usually does not happen.

A VP should be chosen because of the expertise he (or she) brings to the ticket. Gosh, I wish I could find that article, because I'd love to read it again.

A good example, though, is Dick Cheney, who did not bring in any states, and Bush won with him on the ticket twice. But Bush was also able to tap into Cheney's military expertise. As, in this case, McCain will be able to tap into Palin's economic expertise, or Obama to tap into Biden's defense experience, which is a lot less than McCains.

Palin is a gift to conservatives, who will be ecstatic that McCain picked a socially conservative to be on his ticket. And, not only that, but one who is adamantly pro-life and pro-2nd amendment and guns.

Likewise, Palin is from a small town, is not a part of the Washington establishment (Alaska is as far away as you can get from Washington), is the only non-member of the senate on either ticket, and, well, she has little Washington experience.

Still, she has more experience than Obama. She has little Washington experience, but she has a plethora of executive experience. She has little military experience, but neither does Obama. Thus, she has more experience and is more qualified to be president than Obama.

Obama's spokesperson Adrianne Marshis is already on the trail bashing this pick: "Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency."

Obama has zero foreign policy experience and he heads the ticket. Not only that, but Obama says he's the voice of small town people, but Sarah Palin is a small town person. She is one of us. She is a normal person on the ticket.

She said, "Governor Palin shares McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil, and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies. That's not the change we need. It's just more of the same."

That's the attack republicans want, because there are a lot of people who think it's a crime to kill an unborn baby, and they will all vote for McCain. And McCain has gained a lot of ground in the polls in recent months because of his willingness to do what it takes (drilling for oil now) to make us independent from foreign oil.

Sarah Palin's speech today was not about promises, it was about her achievments and qualifications.

In that speech, she said:

"I was then appointed ethics commissioner and chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. And when I found corruption there, I fought it hard and I held the offenders to account.Along with fellow reformers in the great state of Alaska, as governor, I stood up to the old politics as usual -- to the special interests, to the lobbyists, the big oil companies, and the good old boy network. When oil and gas prices went up so dramatically and the state revenues followed with that increase, I sent a large share of that revenue directly back to the people of Alaska -- and we are now embarking on a $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence."

She did this stuff already. She has the experience that Obama lacks. He cannot attack her for this. Well, he can, but he will be called on it if he does. He will be made the fool. Palin, in my opinion, is the Maverick pick.

As for her executive experience, she said, "In serving as the team mom and coaching some basketball on the side, I got involved in the PTA and then was elected to the city council and then elected mayor of my hometown where my agenda was to stop wasteful spending and cut property taxes and put the people first."

She is an outsider in her own party -- like McCain. She is a Maverick. She is a "suburban mom who took on her own party,"according to ft.com.

Not only that, she is a conservative. She is a people person. She is clean. She is young, vibrant, and great looking. She is smart.

Palin has no past associations that Obama will be able to hang over her head. She has no associations with known terrorists like William Ayers. There are no people in her past that she doesn't want you to hear from the way Obama has Reverend Wright and Ayers among others hanging over his head.

She may not be perfect. She was involved in a controversy. According to ft.com, "A state investigation is probing allegations that Ms Palin fired Alaska’s public safety commissioner because he did not fire her former brother-in-law, a state trooper engaged in a child custody fight with Ms Palin’s sister."

But otherwise she is clean, smart and impressive. She also has no past associations with known terrorists.

Biden might be a great debater. He might, you say, eat her alive. Then again, he also has to be careful as not to offend her and the women who will now be taking her very seriously. And the men who will be taking her very seriously (I'm sure they will. She is a pretty sight there next to the old Maverick McCain).

Obama cannot say she is the same old Republican.

Palin said in speech, "I signed major ethics reforms and I appointed both Democrats and independents to serve in my administration, and I championed reform, toned the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress, "'thanks, but no thanks,' on that Bridge to Nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, I said we'd build it ourselves."

Joe Lieberman would have maybe drawn in some independents and democrats, but Palin not only strengthens the base and gets them fired up in a way Lieberman never would. Romney had four houses, Palin has one (as far as I know).

This pick pulls down the sails of the Obama ship that was set out last night.

By the way, did you guys see the way some people were actually crying during his speech? I mean, some people like to call Obama the Messiah, and the way people were crying, and with Obama being hailed in front of so many people, it almost gave the impression that he IS being worshipped as the Messiah.

Well, no Messiah in Palin. She is one of us. She is a small town person like this small town humble RT. Only, she has the experience I do not.

She has five children, one on her way to Iraq and another with down syndrome. That should compare here with Obama, who has three children of his own. Actually, it gives her more experience there too.

Yes, she has the experience that Obama does not. She not only will make a good VP, she will make a good president if that door ever opens.

I'm happy with this pick. Thanks Khaki for recommending Palin to McCain. I give you credit.

(For an excellent analysis of this pick you should check out 7-10: Palmer on Politics. He provides some excellent reasons why she was a "high risk high reward" pick by McCain.)

Last chance to speculate on McCains VP

I suppose this is my last chance to SPECULATE on McCains VP.

I can't imagine he would do something that hasn't been seen before, as McCain is positioning himself as the more traditional candidate to fall back on when they learn that Obama is too inexperienced or unknown to be President. McCain, in essence, is the safe pick.

Which is all the more reason for him not to nominate an unknown and inexperienced person as VP, which would rule out any unknown with little political experience. Or, no surprises.

It would also rule out Lieberman, who is a democrat, and only agrees with Lieberman on defense issues. However, Lieberman would be an excellent candidate for Secretary of State or, better yet, defense secretary.

Wouldn't that be cool. McCain announces his VP, and then a week later taps into the former democrat who still votes with democrats on most issues by announcing that Lieberman is the Secretary of Defence.

That might help him bring in the independent voters, and the democrats not sure about Obama. Or the Hilary-ites who have already stated they won't vote for Obama. Perhaps in this way, Obama can position himself as a "different" kind of republican.

Who else might be the VP. You have Pawlenty. However, Pawlenty isn't a well known figure, yet he would bring Minnesota into the picture.

But, since the Republican Convention will be in Minnesota already, he might want to lean another way for VP to tap into another state.

You have Kay Baily-Hutchison. She is a senator from Texas. I suppose she might be a viable option. But, I don't see McCain going in that direction.

So, that leaves Michigan. I've written this before. It seems to me that if McCain can cut another 5% off Obama's Michigan lead, he might be able to win this glorious state in November.

And, who would help him do that? Mitt Romney.

Sure, Romney is a rich person who would bring in more houses to the McCain camp, but he also brings Michigan, and perhaps the road to 270.

Sure Romney and McCain never really got along during the primaries, but Romney has an excellent economic recort for McCain to tap into.

Sure, Romney has a liberal record in liberal Massachusetts, but he may have had his hand forced as his way of even getting elected in that state.

So, that is why I am convinced that Romney is the man.

Am I wrong? We'll learn tomorrow.

VPs: Colon Powel and Mitt Romney?????

I know he isn't really in the limelight, but there was one report that Colon Powel has endorsed Obama. Then, later that same day, Colon Powel said the claim was not true.

Either way, I think that Colon Powel would be the perfect VP pick for Obama.

Why? Because Colon Powel is a man who said he is a republican, and he was also a military leader during a time of war. This is exactly what Obama needs.

I don't know what states Powel would help pull in, if any. But, does it really matter? Powel has the experience that Obama lacks.

Now, on another note, lets talk about McCain. Of course this would depend on who Obama picks and what state his pick might help him pull in, but as I play around with Real Clear Politics state polling data, and run that data into 270 to win political map, I figure that McCain only needs Michigan to win.

So, it would only make sense that Mitt Romney would be the best choice for McCain.

Why not. What McCain even said himself that his strength is military and his weakness is the economy. Mitt Romney is an economic expert.

Not only that, but Romney grew up in Michigan, and most certainly would pull in several votes from that state -- my state.

I know that a lot of people, including my friend, would not vote for him because he is a Morman.

"Why won't you vote for him because he is a Morman?" I asked.

"Because Morman's believe everyone who is not a Morman is going to go to hell, and I dont' think that is true."

Good point. Still, I think Romney would be the best VP for McCain. Is that who he will pick? Who knows.

I'm a peon here, just giving my 10 cents worth.

Another thought would be: who cares. Some experts say that a VP had historically NOT brought in any states. A VP should not be someone who will bring in a state, but someone like Dick Chainy who will provide expertise.

Well, I suppose we'll find out at 10:00 tomorrow who Obama brings in. And, McCain will wait until just prior to the Republican National Convention.