Diary of a Mad Voter: Joan McCarter
The Bloom is Off the Rose
Now that grim economic reality sets in just a little deeper with every bank failure, the Disneyesque story of a plain spoken hockey mom who just might become vice president just doesn't seem so captivating.By Joan McCarter, 9-26-08
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A couple of weeks ago, one Mountain West scribe announced “A Western woman redefines the presidential race.”
In one decision, John McCain has reshuffled the election deck—especially in the West.
His pick of Idaho native Sarah Palin for vice president means McCain has a good chance to win Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and maybe even Colorado, which were all leaning toward Barack Obama. If she doesn’t screw up, builds on her great personal story, continues to highlight her maverick style and finds a way to energize social conservatives without making the election about abortion or intelligent design, she can also help him hold the South and challenge in Wisconsin and Michigan....
The biggest risk is that voters will find the two-year governor of Alaska and former mayor of a small town unqualified to succeed the 72-year old McCain. But the gun-toting University of Idaho graduate will appeal to many Westerners, especially young Westerners, in a way no other pick could have done.
It turns out that this breath of fresh air has turned out to be just another politician, and not a very polished one, at that. The McCain campaign has assiduously kept her away from the public spotlight, and the few national interviews she’s done have been, well, painful. Here she is talking economics with Katie Couric:
COURIC: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries? ... Instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?
PALIN: Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy– Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions.
Never mind that the bailout, as currently structured, is all about writing a blank check to the huge financial institutions without a whole lot of trickle down to the people who had their lives gambled away by those huge financial institutions. But reducing taxes has to accompany tax reductions?
The vacuousness is one thing. The typical politician’s hypocrisy is quite another, and unlikely to make Western voters really buy into that “maverick style.” Today, the Washington Post reports on just how much of a typical, non-mavericky politician Palin is.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has made a crackdown on gift-giving to state officials a centerpiece of her ethics reform agenda, has accepted gifts valued at $25,367 from industry executives, municipalities and a cultural center whose board includes officials from some of the largest mining interests in the state, a review of state records shows.
The 41 gifts Palin accepted during her 20 months as governor include honorific tributes, expensive artwork and free travel for a family member. They also include more than $2,500 in personal items from Calista, a large Alaska native corporation with a variety of pending state regulatory and budgetary issues, and a gold-nugget pin valued at $1,200 from the city of Nome, which lobbies on municipal, local and capital budget matters, documents show.
About a quarter of the entities bestowing gifts on the governor are represented by one of Alaska’s most influential mining lobbyists, who said in an interview that she was not involved in the tributes. The lobbyist, Wendy Chamberlain, has a relationship with the governor’s family through the friendship of their teenage daughters....
Palin forwarded her ethics proposals to the legislature in January 2007, her first month in office. That month, she accepted three gifts from Calista’s chief executive, Matthew Nicolai: a $2,200 ivory puffin mask, a woven grass fan worth $300 and a $150 ivory necklace. Nicolai, who did not return phone calls, runs the large corporation, which profits from a multibillion-dollar gold-mining operation on its land.
So much for ethics reform in the Alaska statehouse.
Alaskans seem to be the first to be catching on, which makes sense given that they’ve known her the longest. They may think she’s ok as a governor, but they’re really not keen on her abilities to perform on the national stage, particularly in the key area of international relations. A majority of Alaskans--44 to 32 percent--would rather see Joe Biden in the hot seat if we face an international crisis.
But the polls, national and in the West, really tell the story on whether Palin was the game changer. Even in a FOX News poll, that organization most likely to find the silver lining for the Republicans, there’s been a 20 point swing toward Obama/Biden since the Republican National Convention. And in that time, Palin’s favorability is down 16 points. In those key states where Palin was supposed to shore up McCain, it’s been bad news for the Republicans; “In the key state of Pennsylvania, Obama now leads by 9. In Wisconsin, it’s +7, Colorado +4, Michigan +4, Minnesota +2, and Virginia +3. Even in Florida it’s +2.”
McCain is gaining in Montana, the only one of the likely Western swing states where he’s gaining serious ground over Obama. In New Mexico, the composite of polls show Obama up by over 6 points. McCain holds a very slim lead in purple Nevada, just 1.5 points.
It’s looking like McCain’s hail Mary pass (the Palin one as opposed to the “suspending my campaign” or “we can’t debate now” hail Mary passes) really only remains popular in the states he was going to get anyway. They may love Sarah in Idaho, but does that really make any difference?
Editor’s note: Joan McCarter’s weekly blogs are part of NewWest.Net/Politics’ “Diary of a Mad Voter” feature, a group blog, published in partnership with the Denver Post’s Politics West intended give a glimpse into the hearts and minds of several independent-minded voters and thinkers in the Rocky Mountain West in the ‘08 election cycle. For more columns check in with www.newwest.net/madvoter. And for more information on each of the bloggers, click here.
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Comments
Given McCains age and health history she could in deed become Commander in Chief
I am terrified at the prospect of this less than open, inexperienced, undereducated woman might be the President of the United States.
Inexperienced?
For a short time she was a sports reporter
4 years on a small town city council
6 years as the mayor of a small town with less than 7,000 people
2.5 Years as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people.
On the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Palins lack of curiosity about the world and international affairs.
Ms. Palin first applied for a passport last year.
Undereducated?
After changing colleges 5 times she did graduate with a Journalism degree
Less than truthful? "Thanks but no thanks"
Regarding the bridge to nowhere. In 2006, Palin ran for governor on a "build-the-bridge" in her platform. She urged quick work on Alaska's infrastructure projects "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." (Ted Stevens) After the bridge received sharp criticism from John McCain and other congressional members she backed down.
Sarah Palin's transportation department has JUST completed a $25 million gravel road leading to the site of a (The Bridge To Nowhere) bridge that Palin, now boasts that she stopped, so as to save taxpayers money. The road was built with federal tax dollars. A ROAD TO NOWHERE
Troopergate. A Democratic Witch Hunt?
Alaskan Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican is critical of Palin’s recent behavior. The Alaska Legislature has yet to decide whether to impose fines or pursue contempt charges that could lead to Todd Palin's arrest.
The council, which approved the troopergate inquiry, is made up of eight Republicans and four Democrats. The inquiry was initiated, (Before her nomination)and continues, only because Alaska Republicans many of whom have worked with and supported Palin in the past agree with Alaskan Democrats that the question of whether Palin abused her authority must be addressed.
The Trooper-Gate investigation and the link of Sarah Palin to the Right Wing Religious organization Focus On The Family. Liberty Legal Institute is the legal arm of the Free Market Foundation, a conservative activist group associated with James Dobson's Focus on the Family. They are now involved in the investigation. (A Sign Of Things To Come?)
Book Banning Question
In Oct 1996 Palin inquired as to whether Emmons (Wasilla town Librarian) would object to library censorship. Emmons resisted. Palin then raised the possibility that people may circle the library in protest, to which Emmons replied that the American Civil Liberties Union would get involved. Palin backed down. Palin fired Emmons on 1/ 30/1997. The next day she withdrew the firing after an expression of public support for Emmons
Quite frankly the thought of Ms. Palin sitting across the table from the likes of a Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chills me to the bone. She is NOT qualified to be Vice President let alone President.
I think you had better check all the polls, Obama leads in New Mexico and Colorado.
The bloom might be off the rose, but I am already in love. I'll take a diamond in the rough conservative over a polished, smooth talking socialist any day.
The left's real resentment against Sarah Palin is that it has gotten millions of conservatives like myself to get behind McCain instead of protest voting for Ron Paul, Bob Barr or like I had planned to do, write in Newt Gingrich.
Let's see: Obama. Grandson of organic farmers in Kenya and wealthy Bellvue, WA retirees. (Mother appears to have little interest in the US, her children, or her parents...Father left after a few years to return to Kenya where he soon died). Lived with mother and muslim step father in Asia. Ended up with maternal Christian grandparents in Hawaii. Educated in posh private high school in Hawaii , and then Harvard. Ward heeler in Chicago Democrat machine (community outreach-organizer), U of Chicago Law School guest professor (well liked by students), married to a hard driving woman of accomplishment. Illinois Senate and US Senate for two years, most of which has been spent running for President, giving him little time to gain any experience as a US Senator other than in name only, "Present" being his most common vote.
His greatest "experience" comes from the act of running for President. Palin pales in that area. She has only been in the running for a little more than a month. But she did spend two years being the Governor of Alaska, and did get elected to Mayor of Wasilla, both executive jobs.
Neither candidate is "experienced" in any great sense of the word. They are both young, energetic, charismatic, bright, quick learners, and photogenic. Both have supportive families, and come from families with a record of civic support.
Both come from non-traditional backgrounds for national leadership. Obama is a politically liberal mixed race male, and Palin is a white heterosexual conservative female. Either way the election goes, new ground has been plowed.
Neither has any foreign policy expertise of note. Obama has legislative experience. Palin has executive experience. Obama has followed his party and been nourished by his party. Palin has been a party infighter, and has prevailed in both her party and in the general election.
I don't live in either South Chicago or Alaska, so I have no idea if either has made their constituency better for their time in office. I suspect that the record of "change" in business as usual would favor Palin, if what you read is an indication.
Since it appears that the diplomatic establishment, the State Dept., our military, do not have a world view that leads me to believe that they have a lot of understanding on how to proceed to keep the US in good standing in the world, both Obama and Palin will face a formidable opposition when in office from an entrenched civil service in the State Dept and Pentagon. McCain and Biden have been a part of lax oversight and deference to an entrenched bureaucracy. Obama has been absent most of his tenure, and Palin not a part of it at all. I have doubts Obama can prevail over those people, and Clinton did not get the job done. Bush did not get the job done. And McCain was there in his maverick role and ineffectual. Obama is going to be just another handmaiden to that establishment, that "father knows best" State Dept. and Pentagon. And McCain will not fare any better. Biden is an appeaser from Delaware, the US Corporate flag of convenience state. His only job for twenty years has been to ruffle Republican feathers. He has done that well. Just what we need in leadership. Palin has been a whirlwind force of personality more so than experience and education. Obama fits that description but has more formal education.
As I see it now, the race is about personality. Accomplishments are few. That means that party is going to be the prevailing force after the election.
Obama wants to tax the rich, redistribute wealth, and become isolationist and stay out of the world's face.
McCain wants to win the two wars (Iraq is probably won...only awaits our leaving to resume sectarian civil war and why should we care?) and Afghanistan is only in need of an $800 Billion bailout, some agricultural equipment and support--an infrastructure of county agents, parts stores, seed and fertilizer merchants, and they will take care of the Taliban on their own. It is, after all, a muslim against muslim deal. Zionists are not the target. Infidels who don't adhere to a most strict conservative rendition of the Koran are the target. And, when the national sport is to play a form of polo with a calf's severed head horseback, civil order will be suspect for time immemorial.
I don't think either candidate has a meaningful handle on the whole of the financial mess. Capitalism is a messy way to order an economy. Bailouts by government are suspect. Much of the "loss" is paper, an ethereal number, backed by 30:1 leveraged accounts. I sometimes wonder if the real loss is the "1" or the "30". Nevertheless, Oregon's Investment Council, the resting place of collected taxes of governments and State and local pensions, is down to $70 billion from $80 Billion. If taxpayers have to make up that difference, invested "institutional funds" will have to be looked at in a different light. Guaranteed pension earnings invested in a falling market being the taxpayers concern, and those very same funds earning money in a leveraged and sub prime mortgage driven market to be distributed to beneficiaries seems to be a conflict of interest and just another hosing of Joe Sixpack by government. That Oregon I.C. has recently put $600 million into the Lone Star Fund in Texas to buy defaulted properties tears at my gut. Somehow I don't think financially protected State employees need profit from private sector economic distress and loss, as the private sector is called upon to make up losses in investments that they don't participate in the gains earned.
I believe we have too much government, doing stuff governments have no business doing. Obama will grow government. McCain might not. Or grow it less. Who knows?
None is competent at this time to wholly be immersed in foreign policy decisions without able counsel. So what kind of hacks will be providing that to either side? Same goes with the economic issues. McCain was around, and he probably regrets that he was, for the Savings and Loan debacle. That cost taxpayers a bundle, and the ResolutionTrust outcome made many, many millionaires. Cash is king, and people who had cash to invest in foreclosed homes, land, and subdivisions made billions. Banks loaned the money for those people to profit. That opportunity will again present itself, as shown by Oregon's I.C. putting $600 million on that bet.
Traders only make money on the volume of business, up or down. Stasis is not good for trading. They need the markets to fall, in order to be able to win on the gain as markets recover, or profit on the shorts in the fall. The only reason we have seen failures is that people with less money needed access to invested money and had to pull cash from the market. That is a run on the bank. That was a run on IRAs, 401Ks. It was high oil, no more people to flip houses to, or marginal buyers to lend to. Job losses to offshore producers. The house of cards blew over in the winds of change in the market. All this means that there will opportunity in a year or more. It is not the end of the world.
So maybe this election is about extending and expanding the entitlements to the poor and growing their numbers on one hand, and finding a path to greater employment and less government intervention on the other. And taking risk capital away from those who have it to give to those who generationally don't work or forgot to attend school when it was offered free. Or maybe keeping some jobs here outside of menial service work at the minimum wage.
I was in a WinCo grocery store this week. WinCo does not take credit or debit cards. They point you to the ATM at the entrance. But they do have an Oregon Trail Card debit station at every checkout counter. That is the Oregon food stamp welfare debit card. This Hispanic woman was trying to teach her approx. 10 year old daughter how to use the card, and the checker was talking to the kid in English and the mother was telling her how to do it in Spanish. It was a touching scene. The mother wolf teaching the pup how to hunt. An education in needed life skills. It was touching, telling, and said a great deal about what an uncaring, horrible place George Bush has made of this country. As real estate developers commit suicide over failed investments in Bend, over in the Willamette Valley, the immigrants are learning how to enter their pin number for free food from the taxpayers. How much greater can it get than that?
Well said!
Nothing ticks off libs like a conservative woman or black! It exposes their prejudices in all of their glory. I have a surprise for libs, there are millions of women who are independent, able to handle responsibility and make good salaries, and who are very conservative in the package.