Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bucheon bum]

khyber, yes, her speech wasn't anything special. Just standard GOP BS (just like Obama's had a lot of BS about "change" and whatnot). That being said, she came across as articulate, serious, and intelligent.

[kotakji]

Gopher Im curious to hear your thoughts on the strategy behind the choice of Palin as VP.

Personally, unlike, I'd say the vast majority of posters here, I can say I'm still somewhat on the fence as to which way my vote would run. I actually like, and have liked, McCain for a number of years and he is honestly the first Republican in a long while that I would consider voting for. Being somewhat liberal on domestic social issues, fiscally just a shade to the right of center, and a realist when it comes to international issues, I actually found both candidates being acceptable choices- feeling slightly more comfortable with Obama on most social issues but a bit off put by his populist overtones.

Now, if the GOP's thinking is that the best way to influence the election is to strengthen the voter turnout of the right, then I think Palin is a decent choice. Even with the various scandals, she does do a good job of playing the down to earth small town good old 'boy' that would reinvigorate the conservative segment of the electorate. Additionally, she might bring in votes from people who would have otherwise chosen a third party option

However, if the thinking is that she would help the ticket by converting people on the fence between the two major parties, then I really would have to question the logic. It seems to me that most of the voters that have really strong positions on the major issues in which there is a party divide are already on one side or the other. Rather, its the moderates, who don't have some bugaboo overarching social or economic stance who are still considering their options. IE the gun nuts and the anti gun nuts, the pro life and pro choice crusaders, the taxes are evil crowd and the social justice dudes all have made up their mind by now.

Now if we were to oversimplify the situation and think of it as a continuum, doesn't the choice of Palin actually pull the GOP ticket away from that center in which the undecideds tend to reside and in doing so (somewhat) reduce one of the big draws of McCain?

For me its a choice between the unknown entity that on paper I generally like with a few overtones that worry me paired with a VP I have no problems with, vs. a known entity (and thus IMO less of a risk) that I generally like paired with a VP that I am really turned off by.

[Gopher]

One commentator referred to S. Palin not as the ploy to win former H. Clinton supporters to J. McCain's campaign as some suspected earlier but rather a cultural torpedo aimed directly at B. and M. Obama. She certainly did well in her speech tonight. S. Palin does not offer an alternative to H. Clinton but rather an alternative to B. and M. Obama.

Why did the J. McCain campaign choose her? Who knows? I do not. Many here claim to know all about it. But that is just the left's cynicism and fear of a possible Republican victory speaking. She does seem to solidify the GOP's conservative base behind J. McCain. As far as my views go, I like her. I am pleased with her presentation. I support this campaign.

Who should you vote for? Vote for whomever you feel most comfortable with sitting in the Oval Office for four years. I gave up on "rational-choice" voting analysis long ago. We all have this or that issue that remains important to us. But I think feeling your way around, to a degree at least, is the best way to go.

[Summer Wine]

[Gatsby]

Apparently Sarah Palin gave a rousing speech. Or as the New York Times put it, "electrifying."

[aka Dave]

If the country is insane enough to elect a Republican ticket after the last 8 years, I sure as heck ain't going back. If you look at the actually content of the convention, it's personal smears and recycled ideology.

This actually could have been Nixon's convention, or Reagan's convention.

It's as if the last 8 years didn't exist. Well, when you've trashed the country, you play what ya got and hope the public is dumb enough to buy it.

[Gatsby]

If you want to know what evangelical Christians stand for, how they think, whether they are even sane, you have to go to their churches and watch. Better yet, go to a fundamentalist Church in Alaska.

Some of these people are really bizarre.

I watched a "famous" visiting evangelist in Alaska talk for a half hour.

In "tongues." Or, presumably one tongue.

Nothing at all, not one word, made any sense. But the speaker acted like it all made perfect sense, and so did everyone in the congregation.

He then, helpfully, translated his original sermon into English.

Wasn't that inspiring?!!! asked the person who had invited me.

And these evangelicals in Alaska have formed a political network, established by Jerry Prevo, which took over the Republican Party.

You can't understand Sarah Palin without looking at the evangelical conservative Republican movement she is a part of.

These people are dangerous, dishonest, extremist kooks.

Are you an evangelical Christian?

Then no problem.

You're not???

Read this:

[Ya-ta Boy]

Last week there was criticism, justified, that the Democrats spoke with a lot of partisan rhetoric. I found Palin's speech refreshingly free of partisan rhetoric. Moreover, the general tone of the GOP convention is far more positive than the Democratic convention. I hope this trend of no negative attacks on the Democrats continues. It's uplifting to see the Republicans transcend the politics of fear.

[Czarjorge]

[Gatsby]

Ya-ta Boy wrote:

[aka Dave]

[Gatsby]

Sarah Palin: One hot momma from one frigid state!

She's going to have the vote of every red blooded male in America!

One thing puzzles me, though.

Shouldn't John McCain formally accept the convention's nomination, nominate Sarah Palin, and the convention formally select Palin, so that she is officially the Republican nominee for vice president before they let her speak?

Does this mean we will have the honor of a second speech by Palin after she becomes the Republican's official nominee?

And what would have happened had Palin not electrified the base?

[ddeubel]

[caniff]

To get low-brow for a moment, I'd like to go on record as saying IMO she's not that great-looking. Somewhat low on the sex-appeal scale.

[johnriley007]