# And again -- who IS Sarah Palin **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 2, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686 "2008-09-02T15:30:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/281 "2008-09-07T19:13:48Z")
Oh. My. Fucking. GodIDon’tBelieveIn. Deferential? DEFERENTIAL? Crap on a bleeding cracker, they have GOT to be kidding… deferential. Fuck me runnin’. Well, it does say one very telling thing–they’re scared shitless to let her out in the wild because they KNOW what’s gonna happen. She can’t answer any questions about her record, because anyone smart enough to use a computer and “do a google” knows what that will entail. She also can’t answer any questions regarding the issues because she has no answers that haven’t been spoonfed to her. I’m hoping that at least they’ve hipped her to what the VP does all day so she could at least answer questions about that. Wow, talk about being so stuck in wrongheadedness–has nobody ever explained to the McCain campaign that the first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole is to STOP DIGGING? deferential… just… wow… Where I come from the only people you treat with “deference” are the recently bereaved, royalty and the very old/senile. So which is Governor Fragilia? Where are the aspirin? The cognitive dissonance migraine is coming back… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/282 "2008-09-07T19:23:31Z")
This [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/07/palin-in-06-i-wont-let-sp\_n\_124591.html](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/07/palin-in-06-i-wont-let-sp_n_124591.html) article in HuffPost gives a little bit of detail about her tendency to welcome earmarks. She praises Don Young, the corrupt politician in the video I linked to, as well as Ted Stevens. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/283 "2008-09-07T19:24:53Z")
Tomorrow will be the 10th day after the announcement of her nomination without a single press interview made available of Palin. And it will be likely several more days before any interview is forthcoming. Has any VP candidate in the last half-century gone that long after being named by their party without letting the media question them about…well, anything? Especially when the annoucement was this close to the actual election? She’s not a pitbull. She’s a chicken. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/284 "2008-09-07T20:00:30Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Tomorrow will be the 10th day after the announcement of her nomination without a single press interview made available of Palin. And it will be likely several more days before any interview is forthcoming. > > Has any VP candidate in the last half-century gone that long after being named by their party without letting the media question them about…well, anything? Especially when the annoucement was this close to the actual election? > > She’s not a pitbull. She’s a chicken. I saw Chris Mathews and his panel discussing this very thing. Bush’s people prepping her now and I think she’ll do well when she finally gets out there. I was irritated that as they discussed her they didn’t bring up one relevant issues about her. Not the bridge to nowhere, or anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/285 "2008-09-07T20:01:54Z")
Look, it’s clear why Palin isn’t immediately giving interviews - she’s an outsider from Alaska, and she’s being rapidly schooled by McCain’s advisors on the ins and outs of Washington and the various issues. As soon as she’s ready, they’ll send her out. Probably sooner than later, before her ‘refusal to talk’ becomes a major talking point. There is a very interesting video on [this cite](http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/06/palin-inexperienced-not-really/comment-page-1/#comments), which I suggest you watch to get a more complete picture of Palin. Now, the site is a pro-Palin site, and the video is from Fox News, but what’s important is that the video contains an interview with the General who commands the Alaska National Guard, and he is asked very specific questions about what Palin has done in her role as commander of the guard. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/286 "2008-09-07T20:22:48Z")
E-Sabbath: When news breaks, I fix it! Okay, are you ready? I got an article, a followup, and a PDF from our friend at Mudflats. The article says things like Palin said, “So Sambo beat the bitch!” in regards to Obama/Hillary. Also says "people who know her say she refers regularly to Alaska’s Aboriginal people as “Arctic Arabs” and so on. The followup is about the sources for the first. And it has a lovely PDF from our friend at Mudflats about a 2006 vetting the Dems did on her. Some of it, I like what she says. It’s biased, but the bias is sortable. And every item is cited by date and location reported. [http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/alaskans-speak-in-a-frightened-whisper-palin-is-“racist-sexist-vindictive-and-mean”/](http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/alaskans-speak-in-a-frightened-whisper-palin-is-%E2%80%9Cracist-sexist-vindictive-and-mean%E2%80%9D/) [http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/06/sarah-palin-and-me/](http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/06/sarah-palin-and-me/) > **[palin-2006-vetting.pdf](https://mudflats.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/palin-2006-vetting.pdf)** > > 275.66 KB Warning. The vetting PDF is 63 pages. Have fun! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/287 "2008-09-07T20:36:38Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Look, it’s clear why Palin isn’t immediately giving interviews - she’s an outsider from Alaska, and she’s being rapidly schooled by McCain’s advisors on the ins and outs of Washington and the various issues. As soon as she’s ready, they’ll send her out… So, to put it another way, Johnny Mac picked someone who is too ignorant of the issues of the day to answer questions? Very comforting. I can certainly see why you are so enthusiastic. You’re a Canadian, **Sam** , and you know more about American politics than the Vice Presidential nominee of a major party. See the disconnect? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/288 "2008-09-07T20:37:39Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Look, it’s clear why Palin isn’t immediately giving interviews - she’s an outsider from Alaska, and she’s being rapidly schooled by McCain’s advisors on the ins and outs of Washington and the various issues. That really bothers me. Who _is_ Sarah Palin other than a caricature of a Rush-listening, right-wing poster child; i.e., her party is touting NRA membership, evangelical beliefs (including creationism), and extreme anti-choice sentiments. So the best we’ll have to determine her voteworthiness or what have you is how well she can absorb and regurgitate McCain’s Adivisor’s talking points? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/289 "2008-09-07T20:39:22Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Look, it’s clear why Palin isn’t immediately giving interviews - she’s an outsider from Alaska, and she’s being rapidly schooled by McCain’s advisors on the ins and outs of Washington and the various issues. As soon as she’s ready, they’ll send her out. Probably sooner than later, before her ‘refusal to talk’ becomes a major talking point. Before? :dubious: And the Fox clip does tell me she should not be avoiding the press as she has items to point in her defense (not for the many pointed out here), but it is clear to me recent events are “inconveniencing” her at this time. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/290 "2008-09-07T20:40:58Z")
**E-Sabbath** , I saw that article 2 days ago and brushed it aside not because it isn’t “cited” (Lucille), but because (contrary to what others may think) I am loathe to repeat what basically boils down to “trash talk.” I did what due diligence I could on the author, to determine, if possible, what kind of bias he brings to his reporting, and found that while he appears to have credentials, he is clearly, clearly biased against Palin. Now, can a biased source report truths none-the-less? Sure. But I’d be much more comfortable spreading them as such if they had corroboration. I understand not everyone is as willing to talk to reporters as “Lucille,” but if there were 5 other people at that table, it cannot be too difficult to learn if that’s really what was said. The only thing I’m absolutely certain of is that the author is absolutely convinced of the honesty of his source. And while I’d love to give them both the benefit of the doubt because it fits in with my world view, I simply can’t at this point. If, however, others come forward to say they heard the same remark? Game. Over. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/291 "2008-09-07T20:49:55Z")
It certainly is trash talk. But part of why I did post it is because it links to his friend in Alaska… who turns out to be our friend Mudflats. (I see someone posted the PDF earlier. Missed it because it wasn’t a direct link.) The domination, divisive ‘with me or against me’ politics commented within seem to match what I’ve heard about her cronyism and behaviors previous, though. As I’ve asked before… find me her supporters. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/292 "2008-09-07T21:30:56Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > So, to put it another way, Johnny Mac picked someone who is too ignorant of the issues of the day to answer questions? Very comforting. I can certainly see why you are so enthusiastic. > > You’re a Canadian, **Sam** , and you know more about American politics than the Vice Presidential nominee of a major party. See the disconnect? Ding Ding Ding! If she’s so M-F’ing qualified, why does she need so long to prep? Quayle, Bush I, Ferraro, Lieberman, et al. all were talking to the press within a week of the announcement. They didn’t have “executive experience”. She should be more than ready already, and that they’re scared of throwing her to the media (all the while complaining that they’re mean and bad and unfair) is more sexist than anything the MSM has dished out. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/293 "2008-09-07T21:37:54Z")
Well, of all the things she is, apparently there’s one thing she isn’t: [a fiscal conservative](http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2008/08/29/palin-uninspiring-tax-policy-record/) (or at least a good one). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/294 "2008-09-07T21:52:56Z")
[Sarah Palin on Technology Issues](http://www.betanews.com/article/Where_does_Sarah_Palin_stand_on_technology_issues/1220649619) Here’s the rundown (not much info here yet, but some). > [@](#): > > **Worked to ensure students are properly skilled** > > In 2007, shortly after taking office as Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin took advantage of the Internet to create a online training program for workforce development. > > **Made health care transparent through the use of technology** > > Another part of Palin’s record as governor included the Alaska Health Care Transparency Act, which helped state residents access affordable health care. This included tele-medicine and tele-health initiatives for providing care to the state’s most remote municipalities. > **Actions on gas pipeline suggest balanced net neutrality approach** > > An action that defines Gov. Palin’s stand on long-distance distribution of services, was her effort to rework the natural gas pipeline deal forged by her predecessor, Gov. Frank Murkowski. The former governor had struck a deal with major oil companies, prior to commencing the actual pipeline construction project. > > She didn’t like that much, and just about everyone in Alaska knew it. So she scrapped the deal, replacing it with one that involves a bidding process. Already, TransCanada has secured a deal with Alaska to build this pipeline which could dramatically improve the state’s economy. > > The way Palin approached this particular problem suggests she may be in favor of not having any one provider be given preference to build out broadband pipes to a specific area. While one Internet service provider could end up owning the entire pipe – an approach that would be copacetic with that of her would-be boss, Sen. McCain – that provider would likely need to provide proof of how it would handle competitors. > > Transfer the natural gas pipeline affair to the net neutrality debate, and it seems like Palin would not object to companies agreeing on their own about how to handle traffic of competitors. > > **Broadband speeds lag in Alaska…along with candidate Palin** > > It does not seem that Palin has taken any substantive broadband policy as governor of her state, and has actually declined to take a position when asked. That failure to formulate an opinion could be telling, especially considering Alaska has one of the lowest median data rates in the country. > > **Used the Internet to make Alaska government more transparent** > > Sen. Barack Obama has made government transparency part of his platform. Gov. Palin has indeed taken that a step further by actually taking action in Alaska government. Currently, any check written by the state government over $1,000 is posted to the Division of Finance Web site. > > While the service is not yet a requirement under law, there have been attempts to codify this requirement, including an effort to make government information searchable through a Google-like Web site. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/295 "2008-09-07T22:38:06Z")
From [The Wall St. Journal](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122065537792905483.html): > [@](#): > > The biggest project that Sarah Palin undertook as mayor of this small town was an indoor sports complex, where locals played hockey, soccer, and basketball, especially during the long, dark Alaskan winters. > > The only catch was that the city began building roads and installing utilities for the project before it had unchallenged title to the land. The misstep led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in extra costs for a small municipality with a small budget. What was to be Ms. Palin’s legacy has turned into a financial mess that continues to plague Wasilla. > > “It’s too bad that the city of Wasilla didn’t do their homework and secure the land before they began construction,” said Kathy Wells, a longtime activist here. “She was not your ceremonial mayor; she was in charge of running the city. So it was her job to make sure things were done correctly.” They weren’t. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/296 "2008-09-07T22:59:24Z")
Check it out, the Wasilla Sports Complex [http://www.cityofwasilla.com/index.aspx?page=114](http://www.cityofwasilla.com/index.aspx?page=114) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/297 "2008-09-07T23:03:30Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > That really bothers me. Who _is_ Sarah Palin other than a caricature of a Rush-listening, right-wing poster child; i.e., her party is touting NRA membership, evangelical beliefs (including creationism), and extreme anti-choice sentiments. > > So the best we’ll have to determine her voteworthiness or what have you is how well she can absorb and regurgitate McCain’s Adivisor’s talking points? She is exactly what the Republican party wanted: she is a spokesmodel. She is a spokesmodel who cannot be called one, because that would be sexist. She is a pretty prop to be used by the PTB (they hope) to try and continue to be the PTB. She gets more fame, more fortune, certainly… but they get to be the real shakers (for a bit longer, they hope). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/298 "2008-09-07T23:06:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > She is exactly what the Republican party (and lots of politics) has devolved to: she is a spokesmodel. Oh, goody. More sexism from the enlightenment crowd. Keep it up. You’re helping Obama lose an election. Did anyone watch the interview with Alaska’s National Guard commander that I linked to? Seems like it might be some pretty relevent information in finding out Palin’s qualifications. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/299 "2008-09-07T23:09:02Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Oh, goody. More sexism from the enlightenment crowd. Keep it up. You’re helping Obama lose an election. > > Did anyone watch the interview with Alaska’s National Guard commander that I linked to? Seems like it might be some pretty relevent information in finding out Palin’s qualifications. Actually, it’s your sexism that is showing. Since when are all spokesmodels women, Sam? You pretty much proved my point, btw. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686/300 "2008-09-07T23:11:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Actually, it’s your sexism that is showing. Since when are all spokesmodels women, Sam? > > You pretty much proved my point, btw. Thanks. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a male governor of a state be referred to as a ‘spokesmodel’, or as a ‘pretty prop’. Might be some time for a little soul-searching on your part if you think that wasn’t sexist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-again-who-is-sarah-palin/461686.md?page=16)