Comments on: Rahm Responds to Palin

By: bobh

bobh — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:42:51 +0000

The high end Clinton supporters are certainly not going for someone who denies global warming and preaches creationism.

By: shell

shell — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:55:10 +0000

I don’t believe that 28% of Democratic women will refuse to vote for Oabama. Maybe 1-2%. And frankly, these are RACISTS.

Even if it is true that 28% feel, as Jane’s article says, that she was ”disrespected,” it is VERY depressing. Once again — this is NOT a tetherball game in 3rd grade. This is the campaign for the America presidency. Grow up.

By: jatkin02

jatkin02 — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:22:58 +0000

Tim Kaine also served a full term as Lt. Governor of Virgina before he won the governorship. And 7 years in the Richmond, VA council/mayorship. Then years of law practice before that.

Sarah Palin’s resume just isn’t that deep. Are we really going to say that the executive experience in a town of 5,500 is anywhere near equivalent to the executive experience in a city of 200,000 embedded in a metropolitan area of 1.1 million?

Tim Kaine has minimal chops for the national stage, which I’m sure is one of the reasons he was not selected for the VP slot. Sarah Palin’s experience pales in comparison even with that minimal bar.

By: TobyWollin

TobyWollin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:01:36 +0000

My two cents: I think if McCain thinks that he’s going to pick up the part of the Hillar-istas who got pissed off at what happened to her, simply because he put a woman on the ticket with him..he’s shown himself to be someone who really doesn’t do the homework. Women did not get on the HRC bandwagon because she’s female. Yes, there was a certain fillip of excitement to the whole ‘first female presidential candidate’ thing. The true passion that many women felt for HRC’s campaign had to do with HRC/what she went through/what she stands for/what she supports. It’s not the ovaries, McCain…it’s what you do with ‘em that counts. Just sticking the female version of an empty suit(an empty bra?) on the ticket doesn’t GET McCain anything. Even the most pissed off HRC supporter is going to be insulted beyond words that McCain fished Gov. Palin out of the the ‘Female GOP’ suitcase and started waving her around. Not good enough, Johnny…not good enough.

By: MrWhy

MrWhy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:14:06 +0000

The story here is that you might very well use Wikipedia as an indicator for McCain VP pick in future.

If you check for the substance of the changes, they’re the type that happen at Wikipedia all the time. Updates as facts change, spelling and grammar edits, format edits, etc. So people weren’t rewriting history, they were revising as necessary to be current with what is known on the subject.

By: gloria

gloria — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:09:19 +0000

No, Kaine graduated in 1983 (according to Wikipedia) and Obama attended several years later. But you should read Tim Kaine’s Wikipedia entry – he’s had an interesting life full that’s been full of public service. Both he and his wife (the daughter of Governor Linwood Holton, who escorted her to an integrated school when he put an end to Virginia’s massive resistance to forced integration) have been exemplary members of the Richmond community – people who lawyers (in particular) look to as heroes. I have nothing but respect for both of them. He has gotten a bad rap from liberal Democrats in other parts of the country because he doesn’t have a media physique, and his heartfelt Catholicism (which is more of the liberation theology – help the poor – type, rather than the anti-abortion, anti-gay type) has caused him to get a “pro-life” reputation. He is personally “pro-life” and against the death penalty, but in both cases believes that the law and constitution trump in the area of his public decisionmaking. I absolutely adore Tim Kaine. I used to live in his neighborhood, and I have family who still lives there. I can’t say enough about his intellect, his respect for the Constitution and his devotion to people who aren’t as fortunate as he is. Not to mention the fact that he has shown an interest in the world around him, unlike Sarah Palin, who is very provincial in her interests.

Sorry to rant, but Jane’s comment spreads a view that I’ve seen often by people who know nothing about Tim Kaine, and it hurts my feelings on Tim’s behalf to see a progressive, intelligent woman be so wrong.

By: calscientist

calscientist — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:43:23 +0000

I did not know that about Kaine – did he overlap with Obama at Harvard Law?

I do think there is a place in politics for those with `real world’ experience – Harry Truman comes to mind – and while I have some Ivy in my background I would not want to pretend that academic elitism alone makes the candidate (I can think of at least one yale grad that is unfit for office!), but I do understand your point to be that Kaine has a depth of understanding about law in his life that Palin does not have.

By: gloria

gloria — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:33:02 +0000

To you oisin, and to calscientist, I totally agree with both of you, and I have to say that I am flabbergasted by Jane’s apparent ignorance, or willful blindness at least, regarding the difference between Tim Kaine and Sarah Palin. She is the Clarence Thomas of feminism – a totally unqualified token, and a completely cynical choice. I am depressed at the choice, and even more depressed that someone like Jane Hamsher would rise to the defense of this travesty. (By the way, not only was Tim Kaine mayor of a populous, racially diverse southern city that is the capital of the state, but he’s also a Harvard law graduate, has been a civil rights attorney, is married to another Harvard law graduate who did legal aid service and served as a judge. He knew more about law before he got his first job than Sarah Palin knows about it now.)

By: oisin

oisin — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:52:49 +0000

“That’s genius, Rahm. McCain picks a VP choice in order to attract the 28% of Hillary Clinton supporters who think she was disrespected, and Rahm responds with — sneering condescension.”

I didn’t hear sneering condescension in Emmanuel’s remarks. He was simply stating the obvious fact that this person is singularly unqualified to be president (and therefore, to be vice president). Are you suggesting we pretend this is not so in order to grovel for the votes of some very stupid people? Because, anyone who supported Hillary and would now consider voting for a ticket consisting of a pair of extreme right-wing Republicans is a very stupid person indeed.

Because Palin is so stunningly unqualified, the pick is a masterpiece of cynicism, and a transparent attempt to pander to this particular voting block. Hillary’s supporters should be insulted it, not intrigued by it. Anyone inclined to the latter attitude is a fool and I say to hell with ‘em.

By: VictorLaszlo

VictorLaszlo — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:47:18 +0000

Look for yourself:
Sarah Palin Wikipedia revision history

The article’s been edited nearly 1200 times in the past 24 hours.