You Want Objective? Here is Objective

Here is where Sarah Palin stands on the issues:

• Pro-life
• Marriage should only be between and man and a woman
• Has said she would support an amendment to Alaskan Constitution to ban same-sex marriage
• Would support legislation passing death penalty law
• Believes in fully funded K-12 and supports early funding of education
• Supports opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (to development) - believes that Alaska’s economic future depends on aggressively extracting its natural resources
• Would provide stability in environmental regulations so that oil developers can increase their production
• Supported plan to subsidize a Canadian company with $500 million to build a pipeline from Alaska to the lower 48 states
• Passed major tax increase on Alaskan state oil production, which raised revenue for Alaska, which was, in part, distributed directly to Alaskan residents
• Supports Constitutional right to bear arms
• Believes that solution for controlling health care costs is flexibility in government regulations to allow competition
• Supports the repeal of sales taxes including the tire tax

If you are a woman and want to vote for this woman, you’d better memorize this list. Because this is what Governor Palin stands for, and the agenda she will push.  If you stand with her - that's your perogative.  But if you disagree with her, as I do about most things on this list, don't fool yourself by thinking that a vote for this woman is a vote for all woman. 

Comments

[Jo MacD]

I find myself having a really strange response to Gov Palin's views. I'm simultaneously appalled by her extreme anti-choice position (not even for a raped minor? really???) and disapproving of her putting anything this time-consuming ahead of personally caring for her baby boy. I know, I know, maybe I need to go back to feminist school, but I couldn't have left any of my kids at that age for that much time, and for a little one with special needs... Yeah, maybe I should go sit in a corner and read Germaine Greer until the feeling goes away...

[Judy D]

I agree with the above comment. How can a woman have 5 children, the youngest with Downs Syndrome, I believe, and be Vice President? I'm a feminist, but I remember trying to work full time, raise two children and deal with a worthless husband. I was exhausted. Beyond that, I am insulted by this choice. McCain grabbed a female to boost his ratings. He looks totally uncomfortable next to her. This is a slap in the face to Hillary Clinton and other women who have spent their lives in politics. Palin is no Clinton. Maybe Dan Quayle? I can't wait to see the debate between Joe Biden and the beauty queen. I assume she is intelligent, but she can never have the knowledge base that Biden has. I'm sure she'll answer every question with a "God Bless America" and no facts and America will eat it up. After all, she is a gun toting, Pro-lifer with a son going to Iraq...she is everywoman.

[Jeff Bergman]

Stumbled upon this blog site. Curiosity was peaked by mention in Mercury News story regarding negative comments directed toward Governor Palin.

I am a recovering liberal. Bill Clinton and his treatment of women was the last straw for me.

Hillary Clinton's principal qualifier for high office is the enabling of her sexually fixated husband. "Do what ever feels good Bill, but at the end of the day I get my shot at the presidency."

Sarah Palin with her demonstrated beliefs has more character in her little toe than all those of a liberal bent who would unthinkingly hand the presidency to someone so vastly unqualified, unknown, and dangerous as Obama.

Just remember girls we still live in the greatest country on the face of the earth and it's all good.

[Julie Pippert]

Excellent checklist.

She's not just pro-life, she's against any abortion of any type fr any reason. Can I assume based on new GOP suppoedde and backed redefinitions that this includes any type of birth control too?

I don't care about her gender---other than the fact thatone more woman, regardless of views, in this position, sets a good model of "you can" to young women and girls---but I heartily disagree with her position on issues.

Also, to those who claim she's not after HRC supporters---really? Come on...she talked about HRC in her speech!!!

[Victoria]

Sarah Palin has more help with her children, including family members, than I've ever had. Her husband just said he's becoming Mr. Mom to support his wife and help take on more childcare responsibilities. I wouldn't call that worthless. As far as I've heard, she still pumps breast milk.

If the women of the progressive and liberal Democratic party are going to take this bent, I'm going to tear my neck muscles with all the head shaking. This is nothing to be afraid of. A working mom with family support and beyond and with a husband who is picking up childcare duties? Sign me up.

The Obama campaign opened a huge hole and John McCain just drove right through it. Obama/Clinton would have been unbeatable for 16 years. Now the Republicans are circling the wagons and my Repub friends who were lukewarm and holding their nose to vote for McCain, or even someone else, are calling me, breathless with the news of Sarah Palin. Liberal friends who have been called racists by their own party for questioning Obama and then watched The Woman torn to bits by the MSM with nary a word from the Democrats to stop it are now ready to take the ultimate step to set those Democrats down and give them four years to clean up the misogyny in their own house while Sarah Palin gets to work on the national stage.

If a President John McCain has to step down for any reason, you can be sure that Sarah Palin is going to surround herself with just as many smart, experienced people as Obama has in order to take up the slack. That's not a great arguing point.

If Democratic women are going to criticize her because she has a baby and four other kids, then God help us, even the most uneducated moose hunting ice, fishing hick from Alaska is going to learn how to spell the word hypocrite after seeing it splashed across the Fox News crawl every day.

[Judy in KY]

I heard on NPR that Palin is also a strict creationist, meaning she doesn't believe in evolution. In my opinion, we do not need another anti-science leader in this country. I am afraid she would push for teaching creationism in our schools rather than evolution. I realize that some may approve of this, but I feel it would be a giant step backward and put us in even worse shape with regards to the quality of our educational system.
Anti-science, anti-choice, anti-gun control, anti-conservation... I don't care if she is a woman, I can not agree with her positions on these important issues.

[Victoria]

"I am afraid she would push for teaching creationism in our schools rather than evolution."

Sarah Palin, from Anchorage Daily News article in 2006.

"I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."

My kids can handle debate. Bring it on.

[Gunfighter]

Sarah PAlin: An act of desperation.. despite what the PUMA kooks think.

[Annie]

It thoroughly sickens me that McCain and the Republican machine apparently think that the female vote can be so easily bought. That because she wears lipstick and totes a handbag that we'll all flock to vote for her?

Maybe some dithering independents will now vote McCain/Palin - but seriously - people seriously think that Hillary Clinton supporters are going to be all over Palin? Give me a break!

[Victoria]

"PUMA kooks"

"dithering independents"

You keep on keeping on. It's going to be Vice President Palin in a few months and possibly President Palin in a few years.

After Obama and his followers get done shooting themselves in the foot with bb guns, Hillary can emerge as the most powerful Democrat and clean house once and for all, like a little lady should.

[Mom101]

The vice presidential debates are going to be a joy.

I'll leave it at that.

[Cassie]

She returned to work a few days after birthing a child - by choice. I don't think that a woman who takes such risks with her health (and yes, it *is* a risk - there's a reasons why it's mandatory to take at least two weeks off in the UK) bodes well for the working mothers of our country. She probably will tell us that we don't need maternity leave because god won't give us anything we can't handle. *eye roll*

[Kristin]

Let's not forgot that Palin is also opposed to putting the polar bear on the endangered species list -- the status would be pesky when trying to open up new oilfields....

[Kristin]

AND....

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday is the first to include reaction to both Barack Obama’s acceptance speech and John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin to be his running mate. The numbers are little changed since yesterday and show Barack Obama attracting 47% of the vote nationwide while John McCain earns 43%.

I don't think we'll be seeing a Vice President Palin -- we just need to keep up the very, very hard work to ensure it.

[kirsten]

Poated on www.republicansforobama.org

"Fellow Republicans,

When deciding which candidate is best to now lead our nation, we ask that you consider supporting Senator Barack Obama. The U.S. faces serious challenges that are not being addressed by our political leaders. Elected officials of both sides have found it easier to appease their parties’ fringes to win elections, and media companies choose to shock, amuse and divide us. In the meantime, the problems we face as a nation grow as they are passed on to future generations.

We need a leader who can lay the foundations of another American Century—someone who can get past our partisan and ideological divisions, as we strengthen our standing in the world and tackle the challenges we face at home. We need a leader who understands our differences, but who also knows the importance of finding common ground. While we continue to debate and address many issues on which we all have strong opinions—abortion, gay rights, the relationship between church and state, to name a few—we need a leader who can command the support needed to break our government’s paralysis and meet the growing challenges we face as a nation.

Senator Obama is the one candidate who can unite the American majority that wants to move forward and improve the long-term economic well-being and independence of our nation"

Issues A Unified America Can and Must Address:

National Debt
The federal debt matters. We cannot saddle future taxpayers with having to service the debt we create with our irresponsible fiscal policies. Cutting the deficit will additionally decrease interest rates and increase private investment.

Trade Deficit
Every year, the difference between what the United States imports from other countries and what it exports grows, and is likely to reach $1 trillion a year by 2010. The U.S.’s trade imbalance with China alone grew from just $10 billion annually in 1990 to well over $200 billion a year by 2006. Despite this increasing and extreme deficit, recent American administrations have been unable or unwilling to force China to revalue its currency and take other measures to strengthen our exports overseas.

Energy Independence
As the world’s energy needs grow, it is critical that the United States be able to provide for its own energy requirements. By doing so we can deflate the power of dictators who are propped up by high oil prices, more effectively insulate ourselves from the world’s most volatile regions, and stimulate economic growth at home. Even without tapping into Alaska’s oil reserves or drilling offshore, we can dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil—we have not even begun to realize the possibilities of Iowa corn, South Dakota wind or Montana coal. Even a growing number of environmentalists support increased nuclear power production.

Global Warming
Even those who still believe that global warming is a natural occurrence should agree that rising sea levels and other geological changes will be expensive to adapt to and probably impossible to undo. If we are able to reverse this dangerous trend, we must. No other nation has the economic and political power to take the lead on this issue.

Social Security
If current trends continue, total Social Security income will begin to fall short of total outgo in 2019. In the words of Alan Greenspan, the U.S. will face "abrupt and painful" choices if our leaders do not move quickly to trim the Social Security and Medicare benefits the baby boom generation has been promised. The Social Security system needs to be reformed to bring it into the 21st century and beyond with the new financial knowledge and tools available to Americans. We need a reliable, sustainable retirement plan that combines mandatory retirement savings with flexibility, choice, and security

Healthcare Reform
Our healthcare system is reaching a crisis. Rising healthcare costs are crippling business and putting millions of Americans, especially children and the elderly, at great risk. American families risk having a lifetime of savings wiped out from a single hospitalization or illness. Drug companies are reaping record profits as they promote new uses of old drugs. Small hospitals and doctors are closing their doors as malpractice insurance costs increase. We must reform healthcare to make it accessible and affordable for all Americans, while maintaining the competitiveness and innovation that has made our system the envy of the world.

Included in a general reform of our healthcare system must come an overhaul of our Medicare/Medicaid system. With these programs facing insolvency within the next decade, we must re-engineer a system that is fiscally self-sustaining and does not pass today’s health problems onto future generations.

Tax Reform
Our tax code is inefficient and full of loopholes. A simplified code could aid economic growth and provide for a fairer tax system, especially for small businesses and the working poor.

Immigration Reform
Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants enter our country each year and will continue to enter unless much more is done. Thousands of employers hire these illegal workers, often times to the detriment of American workers, and often times exploit the illegal immigrants themselves. Despite extensive talk by both Republicans and Democrats to solve this and many other problems we face, nothing has been done.

Nice to see some republicans can look past party lines.

[SacramentoBlog]

Sarah Palin is a woman and a mother, other than that she and I have very little in common. I find it ridiculously stunning that McCain thinks that Hillary supporters are so stupid that they won't read the fine print. Palin's issues are not Hillary's issues, they are not the Democratic party's issues and they are not my issues. You cannot simply substitute one face for another in front of the camera and call it done.

McCain only met her once before choosing her... as if some sort of 18th century arranged marriage "she'll do".

She appears to be a bright, interesting and intelligent person who has earned her post. So are the twenty other choices who would have been less insulting, more intelligent and interesting options.

PUMA and Hillary friends, please read the fine print. This election isn't about men and women, sexism and racism. It's about the future of our kids who will soon study only creationism in Biology, never see ANWAR and polar bears. God forbid they are raped by a family member and forced to bear the fruit of that appalling union.

[Natalie]

I really, REALLY hope that those who want to point out her flaws would stop pointing out the fact that she is a mother, and soon. It does not help the cause one bit. The fact that she has children has nothing to do with my opinion of her. If this were a man in her position, the conversation would be much different. I know that wasn't the tone of this entry, I'm just responding to the mood I feel in the comments.

That said; I appreciate the objective (well, at least the list) take on her. She is definitely not my cup of tea, but there were a few things on that list I found myself in agreement with.

I'm trying not to worry about all of the uber feminists and "recovering liberals" out there, because to me, they don't stand for what this party represents. The uber feminists (not to be confused with normal feminists) are usually bitter baby boomers (my mom, case in point, I love her, but she IS bitter) who really don't care about the big issues this year, because the biggest issue for them still is and always will be women’s rights. I guess I can’t blame them, since the fought so hard for them before I was even born, but their argument is flawed. Hillary would have been bad for the feminist movement, IMHO. The recovering liberals, from what I’ve seen, are also bitter and think because they've switched parties that somehow makes their opinion more valid. It just means that at some point they found their beliefs in direct conflict with the party they supported. It happens on the conservative side, too, and I can't help but think at least this part of the election will balance itself out.

As far as McCain’s pick, I still believe it has nothing to do with her politics and everything to do with her gender. Obama could have seized on that, but I think he truly picked the best person for the job in the hopes that those bitter baby boomers (who have taken his nomination as a personal affront to the feminist movement) could overlook his gender. McCain is just an opportunist, which is fine, but it shows me that he could really give a damn about this country.

[Victoria]

The recovering liberals have stopped being democrats because the Democratic party stopped being the party about hope, change, and progressive thought. They started being the party about race baiting, choosing inexperience and style over substance, and throwing women under the bus. They started being the party that allows comments like "I can't wait to see the debate between Joe Biden and the beauty queen" and "it's back to moose burgers and ice fishing for you" and fear mongering in the way of "the big bad Republicans are going to rape your daughters and kill the polar bears".

They left the Democratic party because we used to be better than that, the elite. No longer. Read the blogs.

[Aimee Greeblemonkey]

Great straightforward list. Thanks!

[Kellyology]

Whether you agree or disagree with her politics, I just can't get past the fact that she has no real experience. She's only been governor for 18 mos. and her run as mayor? The town is only 6500 strong. How much experience could she possibly have with the resume?

Surely the Republican party could have found a woman more qualified than her...if they were really looking. Wink. Wink.

Hey Republican party, do you really think my loyalty to women really dominates over my need as an American to have somebody qualified running my country?

Well it doesn't. And if you think it does, then you're totally misguided.

[Kristin]

I've been very surprised at how this selection has brought out quite a few conservatives -- on this and other blogs. It seems as though perhaps conservatives thought that progressive people would forget our principles, jump up and down, and be so elated that Republicans have done what Democrats did 24 years ago.

I wish it were that easy.

[Judy in KY]

Why does McCain's pick of Sarah Palin remind me of Bush's pick of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court?

[Jo-Ann]

"The uber feminists ......the biggest issue for them still is and always will be women’s rights."

If the biggest issue for them is women's right, then McCain/Palin is not their ticket. Not by a longshot.

[Freddi]

Palin - what a great pick for VP! She's sensational! She's got more executive experience than Obama and Biden put together, and she's brimming with energy and integrity. She's a reformer within her party and has fought against Big Oil and for the people.

Even though I don't agree with all her policies, it's obvious that she and John McCain each have great character and integrity. Trustworthy people, the both of them.

Whereas Biden is the ultimate slick Washington insider, a multiple plagiarist, and Obama is hiding his lifelong radical socialist black liberation theology agenda behind his gauzy rhetoric and his campaign's heavy-handed legal threats.

Sure, you might try to like these two guys; but you simply can't trust them.

[Vegas Shopper]

Everybody has an axe to grind - and I'm no exception. I'm making it my mission to erradicate the term "Pro-Life" from the vernacular. None of us are Anti-Life. I am Pro-Choice and Sarah Palin is Anti-Choice. And as long as I have the floor, here is my story:
I have been pregnant when I didn't want to be and not pregnant when I did want to be. I chose to continue the "inconvenient" pregnancy and later went through the emotional rollercoaster of innumerable infertility tests (which did not work). All of this was my business and MY CHOICE.
I have a dear friend whose eight year old son killed himself accidentally with a gun the family kept for "protection". The chances of that happening are a lot greater than ever needing to defend yourself from an armed intruder. As any firearms instructor will tell you, don't point a gun if you don't intend to kill something or someone. Otherwise, it could be you that ends up dead.
I could go on and on, but those two reason are enough for me. It's not like I was ever considering voting for McCain anyway. This was just for exercise.

[Stephanie]

I don't think that it's just Democrats who are talking about the motherhood issues with Palin. In fact, I can guarantee you that the most vocal and critical are going to be the most conservative Libertarian and Republican women. It will also be the fundamentalist women who are so critical of Hillary for wanting to be a woman in the White House, and her only child is grown. What she's doing isn't really aligned with that traditional view of a woman's role in the family.

Personally, I don't have too much to say about that, except that it would be a very hard choice for me and it's one I didn't make in this way. I chose to work from home when he was a baby and really for almost all the years of my son's life and I still do (he's 12 now). Still, I don't have too much of a problem with what she's doing if she's got the support network in place. Hillary herself said that "It takes a village" and it sounds like Palin has a village in place.

Now, all that mother / woman stuff aside... as for her views, beliefs, etc. No how, no way, no Palin. There's not a single thing that I've found so far that I agree with and I think that most of her views are very bad for this country... I worry that if she were in office, we would continue the downward spiral. Other countries would continue to view us in a negative way. There is no way that she is going to be able to handle foreign relations in the way that Biden can and already has. It is frightening to me that she laughs about not even knowing what the Vice President does and only wants the job if it's going to be "busy." This is not a joke. This is serious.

[Amanda]

Oh, Liz! Spot on. Have you seen this: http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-mccain-thinking-one-alaskans-perspective/

[Lara]

This list is scary for me. Palin and I are completely OPPOSITE of each on the issues. I wasn't voting for McCain before his choice of a running mate, and I certainly won't be voting for him after. With that being said, I am sad that Palin being a working mom will become an issue. We don't ask male politicians who return to work immediately to explain their decision, nor do we question their wives parenting abilities. I fear the gender-biased coverage is going to EXPLODE (but...perhaps it will start a much-needed conversation). I'm also confident that the Momocrats will call other journalists and commentators on it when they see it occurring.
Personally, I may or may not have made the choices Palin has made with her career and parenting, and like everyone, I'm entitled to my choice. And even if I see her as a woman who represents NOTHING I represent, I can say that she is entitled to make that choice. I hope sometime soon we'll (the media coverage and us commentators) will get back to the issues and issues only. That is where we need to be in this election. Everything else is just a distraction.

[Jeff Bergman]

Well I was curious about the views that would present themselves on the most ironically named blog site ever. Almost every negative position voiced against Governor Palin started with the vociferous defense of a woman's right to choose. Momocrats or Abortocrats?

Yes I am a recovering liberal. It's called maturation girlfriends. Men don't suck, people suck. They will let you down everytime. The biggest step I've taken in my life is realizing it is all my fault. All of it. If another person lets me down it is because I allowed them to position themselves where they could. Take some personal responsibility for your actions.

How can any of you individuals that claim experience is an issue possibly back Obama? Where are the testimonials from colleagues who worked in the trenches with Barack and effected change? There are none, because there has been none. Chicago's southside makes Baghdad look safe. The 110 million dollars entrusted to Barack by unrepentant terrorist William Ayers through the Anneburg Group was used by Obama to launch his meteoric rise without a scintillas accomplishment in education improvement. 143 working days in the senate for not the VP candidate, but the president? The republicans set you up and you are still swallowing the hook. Only Kool Aid drinkers would continue to present that as a reason to diss Palin while touting Obama.

What do Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden have in common? They both have friends who bombed the Pentagon. You can look it up. Obama's million dollar home was financed by Tony Rezko. A Syrian born convicted felon who received 4.25 million dollars from an Iraqi emmisary with direct access to Sadams looted Oil for Food Program.

Joe Biden? I thought this candidacy was about change? I can think of no one better to come on to the national scene than a mother of five who directly attacked not only the republican establishment but also big oil. Joe Biden voted against kicking Sadam out of Kuwait in 1991 for God's sake. During his campaign he asserted the only remedy to the Iraq problem was the partition into separate countries of the Shite, Sunni, and Kurds. Joe Biden is right on foreign policy less often than a broken clock.

Name anything the government does that works efficiently. Can you? The personal attacks that democrats claim is modus operendi for republicans is nothing more than the pyschological phenomenom known as projection. I suggest you girls go to Laura Ingrham, Michelle Malkin, Lucianne.Com and American Thinker and loosen those pony tails. It would certainly benefit you more than a BahamaMama lobotomy drink.

Remember we still live in the greatest country on earth. Depending on others to solve our problems doesn't work. Many of you know that life is not fair. People offering utopia are always the people who let you down the worst. Every person who voices a visceral hatred for this country is proclaiming himself Pro-Obama. Don't be herded and don't let the democrats take you for granted. It's all good.

[Victoria]

"I'm also confident that the Momocrats will call other journalists and commentators on it when they see it occurring."

I hope so. A daily group outing to Daily Kos and Huff Post would be a great place for the Momocrats to start calling out people on their misogyny and sexism, even if the cruel and anti-feminist comments are directed toward a woman who happens to be a non-Democrat. That would be unity. That would be change.

[BethW]

I'll admit it. I haven't read all the comments- I skimmed them. Know from the start that I'm a far-right conservative. Here's my $.02.

I happen to agree with Governor Palin on just about everything on your list. The first 3 are straight off the conservative viewpoint, and no, I will not apologize. (And she is ok with abortion if the life of the mother is truly at stake, but not for convenience- a baby is a blessing, either to the biological parents, or to adoptive parents, if the biological parents make that choice. I say that having been adopted. I've been told that I would have been born even if it had been legal at the time to suck me into a sink. That's easy to say now.)

#4- death penalty. I live in Texas. I'm trying to figure out what the debate's all about.
#5- education- aren't the liberals happy about that one? I'm all for getting the federal government out of education- it's not in the Constitution, so it's the State's job.
#6- ANWR- most Alaskans agree with her. They're talking about an area smaller than many college campuses, and 700 miles away from the nearest tree. We CANNOT move to "cleaner energy" in the next 4.3 seconds. We NEED fossil fuels to get us through until the scientists figure out what will actually work.
#7- stability is a bad thing? Since when?
#8- the Al-Can natural gas line will provide cleaner fuel for our energy needs. How is that a bad thing?
#10- I'm going to quote this one- "Supports Constitutional right to bear arms " - Wow! She supports what is actually written in the Constitution? How... enlightening. I guess she also believes that we have the right to free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to assembly. Who knew? ( I did address the comment about the child and the gun later.)

The rest are... not really important. Let's move to the comments:
creationism- she doesn't want it taught in the curriculum- she wants the teachers to not be afraid to discuss if the students bring it up.

returning to work so quickly after Trig was born- It's not like she went back full time right away. She's the Governor- there were things that needed to be done, with doctor's approval. And please don't use UK medical care as your example- there's a reason why people who live in countries that have socialist healthcare come to the US for healthcare.

the polar bear- She was against putting them on the ESL because there are MORE OF THEM than 30 years ago. THey're making a comeback, so we don't need to put more restrictions on citizens to help a species that's doing just fine on its own, thankyouverymuch.

lack of experience- Even though her experience is on a small scale, it's far more than either of the Senators on the Democrat's ticket. How much EXECUTIVE experience does Senator Obama have? He was chair of a subcommittee that he's never called into session. That's it.

McCain meeting her only once- And? With today's technology, how much communication did he have with her? Plenty, I'm sure.

About the gun for self defense- I have a gun for safety, and I will get my CCL once I've saved up my fees. My children have taken a gun safety class and know how to properly handle a weapon (IOW- don't- unless an approved adult is around). I did read the comment about the family whose son killed himself. That is tragic, and I am truly sorry for the family's loss. However, that was more than likely a training error and not because of the Second Amendment. My kids have been trained since a very young age what they were supposed to do if they ever found a gun (stop, look at surroundings, leave and find a grown-up to tell where they found the gun). I'm not judging at all- I'm just explaining that for every accidental shooting because a child was not trained properly, you have dozens of children from hunting families who know exactly how to handle the situation.

All that said, I must also add a "what he said" to Jeff Bergman.