Dear John Letter

Dear John McCain; I am calling on you as a man of integrity and a man of your word, do whatever necessary to squelch the vicious rumors emanating from your staff.

Governor Palin has suffered enough from her disgraceful treatment in the "lower 48".

Anyone on your staff who tells or has told tales out of school of an unflattering nature to Sarah Palin should be fired immediately.

Of course it is too late to put the horse back in the barn, but I suggest demand that you go on national television (buying the time if necessary) and deny any wrong doing on Sarah Palin's part. And then fire off an apology to her for not allowing her to speak along with your concession speech.

I greatly admired your speech that night. Don't let these loose lipped harpies tarnish your image by being anything less than a gentleman in this sordid state of affairs.

Thank you so much,

Janet Crain


Those wishing to fax Senator John McCain go here to send a free fax. Limit two a day.

http://faxzero.com/

McCain's fax numbers

Phoenix, AZ 602-952-8702

Washington, DC 202-228-2862

Phone and fax numbers click here:

http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.OfficeLocations

Not only has the vice-presidential candidate given a concession speech before, it was done as recently as 4 years ago:

Two of the most unforgettable concession speeches were delivered in the last decade, Connaughton says. In 2004, presidential candidate John Kerry's vice presidential nominee, John Edwards, spoke first. Instead of openly conceding, he proclaimed that he and Kerry would continue to fight for a better America, encouraging supporters to do the same. Then, Kerry gave his concession speech.

"You usually don't hear from the vice presidential candidate on the losing side first. That was unusual," she says.

This time we did not hear from her at all.

View All Recent Meet the Real Sarah Palin Blog Posts:

Click on Share button to send to your favorite sites

Second Obama Staffer Spills Guts

Read Everything, Believe Nothing. Get Out And Vote!

2 - Sarah Palin. Don’t believe what the media is telling you about how horrible a choice she was. Again, our internal polling suggest that though she has had a minimal impact on pulling disaffected Hillary Democrats to McCain, she has done wonders in mobilizing the base for McCain. Another thing – we were completely taken by surprise with her pick. In my capacity in the research department, I looked into the backgrounds of Leiberman, Romney, Pawlenty and Ridge, and prepared briefs. I don’t mind bragging that we had pretty good stuff on all of them. With Leiberman, the plan was to paint him as an erratic old-timer who didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing (pretty much a clone of McCain). In Romney, we had him pegged as an evil capitalist who cut jobs. Pawlenty was going to get the “Quayle treatment”, or more precisely: a pretty face, with no valid experience. Tom Ridge was going to be used to provide a direct link from McCain to Bush. As you can see, we were quite enamored of all of them. Then the unexpected happened – Sarah Palin. We had no clue as to how to handle her, and bungled it from the start. Though through our misinformation networks, we have successfully taken some of the shine off. But let there be no doubt. She remains a major obstacle. She has singlehanded solidified “soft” Republican support, mobilized the McCain ground game, and has even had some appeal to independents and Hillary voters. This is what our internal polling confirms.

3 – Obama’s radical connections. Standards operating procedure has been to cry “racism” whenever one of these has been brought up. We even have a detailed strategy ready to go should McCain ever bring Rev. Wright up. Though by themselves they are of minimal worth, taken together, Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Father Pfelger, and now, Rashid Khalili, are exactly what the campaign does not need. The more focus on them, the more this election becomes a referendum on Obama. The campaign strategy from the very beginning was to make this election a referendum on Bush. Strategists have been banging their head on how successfully McCain has distanced himself from Bush. This has worked, and right now the tide is in his favor. People are taking a new look at Barack Obama, and our experience when this happens tells us this is not good news at all. When they take a look at him, one or more of these names are bound to be brought up. McCain has wisely not harped on this in recent weeks and let voters decide for themselves. This was a trap we set for him, and he never fully took the bait. Senator Obama openly dared him to bring up Ayers. This was not due to machismo on the part of Obama, but actually due to campaign strategy. Though McCain’s reference to Ayers fell flat in the last debate, people in the Obama campaign were actually disappointed that he didn’t follow through on it more and getting into it. Our focus groups found this out: When McCain brings these connections up, voters are turned off to him. They’d rather take this into consideration themselves, and when this happens, our numbers begin to tank.

4 – The Bradley Effect. Don’t believe these polls for a second. I just went over our numbers and found that we have next to no chance in the following states: Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire and Nevada. Ohio leans heavily to McCain, but is too close to call it for him. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico and Iowa are the true “toss up states”. The only two of these the campaign feels “confident” in are Iowa and New Mexico. The reason for such polling discrepancy is the Bradley Effect, and this is a subject of much discussion in the campaign. In general, we tend to take a -10 point percentage in allowing for this, and are not comfortable until the polls give us a spread well over this mark. This is why we are still campaigning in Virginia and Pennsylvania! This is why Ohio is such a desperate hope for us! What truly bothers this campaign is the fact that some pollsters get up to an 80% “refuse to respond” result. You can’t possibly include these into the polls. The truth is, people are afraid to let people know who they are voting for. The vast majority of these respondents are McCain supporters. Obama is the “hip” choice, and we all know it.

(but do we want a "hip" president? JC)

Full Article Here:
http://www.hillaryclintonforum.net/discussion/showthread.php?t=39446

View All Recent Meet the Real Sarah Palin Blog Posts:

McCain ‘amazed’ by Palin treatment

By ANDY BARR 10/22/08 10:52 AM EDT

John McCain called out fellow Republicans who have questioned running mate Sarah Palin’s credentials Tuesday. “What’s their problem?” McCain asked during an interview with radio host Don Imus. “She is a governor, the most popular governor in America,” McCain said. “I think she is the most qualified of any that has run recently for vice president.” “I’m amazed. I’m amazed. Which is better? Serve 35 years in the United States Senate and say you’ve got to divide Iraq into three different countries, or be governor of a state and a reformer and give people their tax dollars back and bring about reform in the way that your state does business? Which is better?” Several leading conservatives, including columnists Kathleen Parker of National Review and David Brooks of the New York Times, have questioned McCain’s judgment in selecting Palin.Parker called Palin “out of her league” in a September column urging the Alaska governor to drop out of the race. Brooks, meanwhile, called Palin “a fatal cancer to the Republican Party” during a forum hosted by The Atlantic magazine earlier this month.

McCain dismissed their criticisms and credited Palin for energizing the conservative base in a year in which the GOP faces “a stiff headwind.” “She has ignited our crowds,” McCain said. “She has a wonderful family, a great husband, great values and she shares my worldview.” “I’m entertained at the elitist attitude towards a person who is proven leader.” Looking back on Palin’s early interviews with ABC’s Charles Gibson and CBS’s Katie Couric, McCain said Palin did well and derided the press for asking “gotcha” questions. “She did a great job in those interviews. If you want to go with the gotcha questions that’s fine, that’s fine, I understand that. I get them all the time,” the Arizona senator said. “It’s easy to make fun of people and ask them gotcha questions. That’s fine. I understand how the game is played. But don’t think the American people buy that baloney.”

McCain also mocked suggestions that Palin has to face tough interviews on the Sunday shows in order to prove herself to voters. “That’s hilarious. With thousands of people showing up at town hall meetings, I’ve never had a person show up and ask when she is going on ‘Meet the Press.’ Not one.” With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, the Republican conceded that he is trailing Barack Obama but seemed optimistic about his chances. “We’re doing fine. We have a lot of enthusiasm out there. We’re working hard and enjoying the rallies and having fun. I’m very confident,” he said. “I think we’re behind, but it’s within the margin of error and we’re coming up. All the indicators are that we’re coming up.”

View All Recent Blog Posts:

UPDATED: Sarah Palin Has Jewish Ancestry

UPDATE: Oct. 20, 2008
Since the URL of our blog is being given as a reference at Answers.com, we are publishing both of their versions concerning Sarah Palin's ancestry. If McCain-Palin is the winning ticket on Nov.4th, there is no doubt her genealogy will be even more thoroughly researched. So vote for McCain-Palin!!!

From Answers.com:

Sarah Palin and Potential Jewish Roots?

As it stands Sarah Palin was born and baptized Roman Catholic but raised as a Pentecostal Christian. She is is currently a devout Christian, married to Todd Palin- who is Christian. She raises her family as Christians. She and her family are members of and attend a Christian church in Wasilla.

Though her family was born and raised in the United States, Sarah, like almost every American, comes from a family of immigrants. Below is her family tree and various opinions of contributors regarding the possibility that Sarah may have Jewish roots.

1.NO- Sarah Palin has No Jewish Ancestry
The rumor on several blogs that Sarah Palin's maternal grandparents were Lithuanian Jews named "Sheigam" is completely false. All official records confirm that Gov. Palin's maternal grandparents were Clement J. and Helen L. Sheeran of Richland, Washington. Their ancestral lines can be traced to Ireland and Germany, respectively. Some websites have also suggested that Palin's paternal grandmother was a Jewish woman named "Beatrice Coleman", but this too is complete fiction. Palin's paternal grandmother was named Nellie Marie Heath (nee Brandt). According to her obituary in the Sandpoint Daily Bee, Mrs. Heath was associated with the First Church of Christ in Sandpoint, Idaho. In a recent Time Magazine interview, Palin asserted that her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, baptized her in the Catholic church and attended non-denominational Christian churches throughout her childhood. It is unclear where (or why) the fabrications regarding Gov. Palin's heritage initially appeared. Some websites that have posted this mis-information seem to promulgate prejudiced ideals or conspiracy theories, but why have promoted this story is something of a mystery.

*Palin's mother was born Sally Sheeran, in Oct 1940, in Richland, WA
*Her mother was born Helen Louise Gower, on 22 Jan 1910 in WI
*Her mother was born Cora Strong, on 4 Nov 1886, in Chippewa Co., WI
*Her mother was born Augusta L[odema] Godfrey, in Jul 1854, in Waverly, Morgan Co., IL
*Her mother was born Lodema Curtiss, on 7 Oct 1822, in Litchfield Co., CT
*Her mother was born Charity Everett, on 16 Oct 1789/90, in CT
*Her mother was born Jedid(i)ah Brownson, on 16 Nov. 1761, in Woodbury or Bethlehem, CT
*Her mother was born Abigail Hawley, in 1740, in Bethlehem, CT

There's no reason to suppose that Abigail Hawley was Jewish, or that any of the women in between converted to Judaism. Nobody in her family tree seems ever to have been called "Sheigam" or to have been to Lithuania.

From http://www.wargs.com/political/heath.html

2.Yes- Sarah Palin has Jewish Ancestry

based on Jewish tradition that makes one "Jewish" if born to a mother of Jewish ethnic decent, although practicing evangelical Christianity. Sarah Palin's mother (Sally Sheigam) was of Lithuanian Jewish heritage and so were both of her mothers parents (Louise Sheigam and Shmuel Sheigam). Her maternal grandfather, Schmuel Sheigam, was a Lithuanian Jew born in 1912 in Vilkaviskis, Lithuania, 91.2 miles west of Vilnius. The Sheigam family immigrated to America, via Hamburg, Germany in 1915 because of WWI. The grandmother was was originally named Gower. Her father Chuck Heath can be considered of Jewish blood because it is believed his mother, Beatrice Coleman, was of Jewish decent. Further information on Governor Palin's ancestors can easily be found in the vital records in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius. http://www.archyvai.lt/ The Archives holds birth, marriage, divorce, and death records for the Lithuanian Jewish community from 1851 until 1915 when the Jews were required to leave the country because of World War I. They are in 18th Century Cyrillic script and Yiddish Many of these records include the mother's maiden name and town of registration.

At Ellis Island Immigration Centre, the name was entered as Sheeran, a standard practice of the time when immigration officers were unable to understand non-English speaking immigrants. Sheeran is a common Irish name but members of the Sheigam family are buried in the Jewish cemetery at Budezeriai near Vilkaviskis:in Lithuania. http://sarah-palin-2008.blogspot.com/2008/10/sarah-palin-has-jewish-ancestry.html

There are several genealogies circulating on the Internet claiming Sarah Palin is a descendant of one Schmuel Sheigam, a Lithuanian Jew.
A National Archives search of immigration records shows no Sheigam - or Sheeran, as the Ellis Island transformation would have it, according to these accounts - arriving in 1915. (And yes, all possible spellings were run.) Sheigam doesn’t turn up, period.

There is a grain of truth in this, as there often is with urban myths: Records (ship manifests, censuses, property records etc.) show that Sheeran is indeed a common Irish American name, and one that some immigrants, evidently Jewish, adopted upon their arrival.

Nothing has turned up to refute the rest of her mother's Jewish ancestry.

See earlier post:

http://sarah-palin-2008.blogspot.com/2008/10/sarah-palin-has-jewish-ancestry.html

http://sarah-palin-2008.blogspot.com/2008/09/all-in-family.html


Please note: It is not our intent to suggest that Sarah Palin is of the Jewish faith. But as genealogists, we think her genetic background is both interesting and important. JC and PF editors

The motive for someone posting this false information has been suggested to have started with a leftist blogger trying to destroy Palin's popularity. When they saw it was backfiring, they moved quickly to change the info.

Maybe someday genealogists will straighten out this tangled web.

There is no doubt Sarah Palin has some Jewish ancestry even if you have to go back to her royal ancestry. Remember the Holy Grail line? But it is also very possible some of her pioneer ancestors were Jewish.



In addition to the Mayflower and royal ancestry of Sarah Palin, I wrote about here on September 16th, it now appears that she has Jewish ancestry. Perhaps as much as or more than 1/2. At last her gorgeous brunette good looks are explained. Janet Crain


Palin's Maternal Grandfather And Grandmother




Her maternal grandfather, Schmuel Sheigam, was a Lithuanian Jew, born in 1912 in Vilkaviskis, Lithuania, 91.2 miles west of Vilnius. The Sheigam family immigrated to America, via Hamburg, Germany in 1915 because of WWI. The grandmother was a Jewess named Gower.




The Names Are Altered




At Ellis Island Immigration Centre, the name was entered as Sheeran, a standard practice of the time when immigration officers were unable to understand the pronunciation of non-English speaking immigrants. Sheeran is a common Irish name but members of the Sheigam family are buried in the Jewish cemetery at Budezeriai near Vilkaviskis:in Lithuania.

Documentation




Further information on Governor Palin’s ancestors can easily be found in the vital records in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius. The Archives holds birth, marriage, divorce, and death records for the Lithuanian Jewish community from 1851 until 1915 when the Jews were required to leave the country because of World War I. They are in 18th Century Cyrillic script and Yiddish Many of these records include the mother's maiden name and town of registration.

Palin's Paternal Grandfather And Grandmother

The grandmother's name was Coleman, and Palin's father looks to have Ashkazian blood.

http://judicial-inc.biz/89reports_sarah_palin_jewess.htm


http://sarah-palin-2008.blogspot.com/2008/09/all-in-family.html

View All Recent Blog Posts:

Palin on SNL? It's a Done Deal, NY Post Reports

According to The New York Post, the Republican running mate has sealed plans to appear on "Saturday Night Live" on Oct. 25. Palin's dress rehearsal is already set for Friday, Oct. 24, the paper reports.

But if Palin is readying her best Tina Fey impression, nobody close to her is giving any hints.

Neither the campaign nor NBC would confirm the report when asked by FOX News.

Palin was asked Tuesday by reporters whether she wanted to give Fey, who has parodied Palin -- some say impeccably -- on the late-night comedy show ever since she was tapped as the Republican vice presidential nominee, a "taste of her own medicine." She seemed to relish the thought.

"I would love to," Palin said, laughing. "I love her. She's a hoot and she's so talented and it would be fun to either imitate her or keep on giving her more material and keep her in business."

FOX News' Shushannah Walshe contributed to this report.

View All Recent Blog Posts:

Governor Schwarzenegger Gives Palin His Full Approval

Gov. Arnold loves Sarah Palin, warns against counting John McCain out early

We're a little late with this one, but whenever Gov. Arnold speaks, The Ticket listens. Eventually.

The other day California's top official -- well, not counting Ron Burkle -- did an onstage interview for an audience of magazine executives gathered in San Francisco.

Turns out, the gov is a huge fan of fellow Republican Gov. Sarah Palin. "I think that she would be a great vice president," said Schwarzenegger, shown here during recent budget negotiations with legislators.

When he saw Palin after her VP nomination in St. Paul, Schwarzenegger said he said, "That's what's wrong with the Constitution," which forbids him, being foreign-born, from becoming president. "Miss Alaska is beating Mr. Universe."

The California chief executive reported that the Alaska chief executive didn't think the joke was that funny.

But Schwarzenegger did warn his audience of out-of-towners against accepting in advance a loss on Nov. 4 by Sen. John McCain. "People," the gov said, "always count him out at the wrong time."

View All Recent Blog Posts:

Sarah and David; A Lesson from the Bible

by Mark Joseph

Along with the rest of America, I turned on my TV to get a first glimpse of Sarah Palin in action during the GOP convention. I had been aware of Palin before John McCain selected her, but only vaguely, and this would be my first chance to see her in action.

The day before her debut, I watched as she made the customary rounds that all speakers do, walking around the podium, checking out the TelePrompter and surveying the hall. She looked nervous. If looks could speak, she was saying, "Oh dear, what in the world have I gotten myself into? I am way out of my league."
Uh, oh, another Dan Quayle, I thought.

But what I saw the next night was not Quayle in New Orleans, but a tough, powerful, political figure, cool and confident, tossing off jokes and mocking her opponents. The fact that, nationally speaking, she was a political neophyte and yet was speaking so forcefully and powerfully on a national stage brought to mind Ronald Reagan and his powerful debut that has come to be known simply as "The Speech."

The fact that Palin was attacking her political enemies with such charm and with a twinkle in her eye reminded me of another legendary speech by Texas Governor Ann Richards in 1988, when she famously chirped that George H.W. Bush had been born with a silver foot in his mouth.

But Palin was like Reagan in ways beyond speaking style or delivery, because she had managed to capture, as few had, his spirit, the spirit that had turned working class Democrats who hadn't voted for a Republican in a generation into Reagan Democrats, voters who had suspended their dislike for Republicans in order to vote for Reagan.

The Obama campaign appeared to be flummoxed by McCain's choice of a running mate for a few days, as though they had been preparing for the usual suspects: Romney, Pawlenty, etc., but hadn't given a thought to the possibility of having to face Palin.

But then something happened to Sarah Palin. Handlers began to take her into back rooms and tell her how little she knew and how she'd have to quickly learn the names of presidents of small countries and bills in the Senate and how many missiles were in various nuclear arsenals around the world. And that process seemed to kill her confidence, shut down her natural political instincts and kill what made Palin such an interesting political animal.

The cocky, scrappy Sarah Palin who looked like Tina Fey and sounded like Ann Richards was replaced by the deer-in-the-headlights look that Americans have seen before in politicians ... a candidate who was unsteady, unsure of herself, trying too hard to be something she wasn't — and trying to make the ridiculous argument that a handler had obviously given her: that being close to Alaska somehow gave her insight into foreign policy with Russia.

The Palin story is steeped in religion. Her supporters believe she is a modern day version of the biblical Queen Esther, sent by God to save the nation from peril "for such a time as this," and prophetic e-mails proclaiming that Palin is going to win are being forwarded around cyberspace as we speak.

But there may be another story that fits Palin's dilemma: In the story of David and Goliath, the young, future king decides that he will take on the 9-foot giant and goes to King Saul and tells him of his plan. Saul is bemused by the teenager who has no chance against the giant, but he consents and immediately gives him the appropriate gear, a heavy protective outfit worn to battle, known as a "coat of mail," along with the king's sword.

David, Scriptures imply, was physically overwhelmed by the get-up and barely able to move. Telling the king thanks but no thanks, the young shepherd boy threw off the gear and proceeded to gather stones found by a brook in his slingshot, which he used to fell the giant.

Not unlike the young shepherd boy, the best thing Sarah Palin can do in the remainig hours before she faces her own Goliath in the form of a tough, smart senator with three decades of experience, and the best thing the McCain campaign can do for her, is to let her rid herself of her coat of mail — the overzealous handlers — and let Palin run wild and be the natural, untamed politician she is.

David spent his youth battling bears and lions, but he knew nothing about battle. His victory came when he was freed of the then-modern tools of battle and allowed to bring his native skills, cultivated in the wild, to a battle for which he was by all accounts not trained for.

Palin's political skills are the equivalent of David's battle skills, honed in the Alaskan wilderness where she operated as her nickname "Barracuda" suggests, ruthlessly defeating opponents who crossed her (including her own mother-in-law, who ran for mayor after Palin) and political mentors who she thought had become corrupt (Gov. Frank Murkowski).

If that Palin shows up at Thursday night's debate, it will because she dismisses the advisers, trusts her instincts, regains her confidence and remembers where her success came from.

Mark Joseph is a multi-media producer and the author of the forthcoming Sarah Barracuda: The Rise of Sarah Palin. He has written extensively on politics, pop culture and religion for a variety of media including Beliefnet, Christianity Today, The Jewish Press and others. His books include "Faith, God & Rock 'n' Roll," and "Pop Goes Religion."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431286,00.html

View All Recent Blog Posts:

Sarah Palin's Face Crafted in Ohio Cornfield Maze

Duke Wheeler of Whitehouse, Ohio has carved up his 16-acre cornfield to depict the likeness of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Wheeler says Palin created a lot of excitement in this year's race, and was hoping to generate the same kind of excitement for this year's maze.

The process of etching Sarah Palin into Ohio's landscape took an artist from Idaho more than 8 hours. The artist had to mow down the cornstalks strategically in order to finish the caricature which is complete with her signature glasses and updo hairstyle.

Wheeler thinks the Alaskan governor would be proud.

The Sarah Palin fall corn maze is located at The Butterfly House in Whitehouse, OH (near Toledo), and features an indoor garden filled with butterflies and the adjoining farm where the maze is. To fully appreciate the maze, you need to see it from above.

Butterfly House website

Clinton: 'I get why Palin is hot'

September 22, 2008

Bill Clinton has described Sarah Palin as 'hot' to reporters

Times Online and agencies

Bill Clinton has said he understands why middle America thinks Sarah Palin is "hot".

The Republican vice presidential candidate appeals to the heartlands of America because people relate to her life, he told reporters yesterday.

"I come from Arkansas, I get why she's hot out there," he said. "Why she's doing well."

Speaking to reporters before his Clinton Global Initiative meeting which starts today, the former president described Palin's appeal by adding, "People look at her, and they say, 'All those kids. Something that happens in everybody's family. I'm glad she loves her daughter and she's not ashamed of her. Glad that girl's going around with her boyfriend. Glad they're going to get married.'"

Alhough John McCain's post-convention bounce in the polls appears to be over, with Barack Obama regaining the support of white women who deserted him for Mrs Palin, she still thrills the crowds with her raw power. Her family, including Trig, her Downs syndrome baby, her pregnant 17-year-old daughter Bristol and Todd, her husband the "First Dude" and four time winner of the 2000 mile Iron Dog snowmobile race still generate intense interest.

"I get this," Clinton said. "My view is ... why say, ever, anything bad about a person? Why don't we like them and celebrate them and be happy for her elevation to the ticket? And just say that she was a good choice for him and we disagree with them?"

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4807452.ece

McCain closes huge gap on key question for women

China Daily

Updated: 2008-09-23 07:53

Since picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has obliterated what had been a 34-percentage-point deficit in a poll of likely women voters on the question of which candidate has a "better understanding of women and what is important" to them.

The two are now effectively tied, with McCain's 44 to 42 percentage lead within the margin of error of the most recent poll conducted by pollsters Kellyanne Conway and Celinda Lake for Lifetime Television. In Lifetime's July poll, women preferred Barack Obama on the same question by nearly three-to-one -- 52 to 18 percent.

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, wave at a rally in Media, Pa., Monday, September 22, 2008.

In this latest poll, conducted Sept. 11-15, age remained a key determinant in response to the question about women’s concerns. Young women, ages 18-34, chose the Obama/Biden ticket as more empathetic to their needs, while women aged 35-64 went for McCain/Palin. Unlike black and Hispanic women, White women saw McCain and Palin as most understanding of their concerns.

About one in four women who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries now said McCain and Palin have a better grasp of women’s needs than Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden.

The Lifetime poll reveals a diversity of women's views on several issues, with many of those differences related to a respondent’s race, party identity, marital status and generation.

Cont. here:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2008-09/23/content_7049411.htm

Sa-rah! Sa-rah! Sa-rah!

Sarah Palin―more than just a pretty face―the perfect VP for McCain

From the Women at Crossroads Blog

Sarah Palin―more than just a pretty face―the perfect VP for McCain.

On this blog we have had numerous comments questioning Sarah Palin’s ability to fulfill the role of vice president. There is a tendency to want to compare her to Obama who is obviously running for president. President and vice president are two distinctly different job descriptions and it is my opinion that Sarah Palin will have no problem more than adequately fulfilling the requirements of the office of VP. I also believe that VP is a role well suited to a woman and that is what this post is all about.

What does the Vice President do anyway?

According to the Constitution the role of vice president only involves two specific things beyond the general role of supporting and serving as a strengthening agent for the president.

1). The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president.

2) the vice president serves as the President of the Senate, and may break tie votes in that chamber. The Constitution goes on to say, regarding the vice president, “He or she may be assigned additional duties by the president but, as the Constitution assigns no executive powers to the vice president, in performing such duties he or she acts only as an agent of the president.”

http://womenatcrossroads.wordpress.com/

Record Turnout in Florida Heat

By WILLIAM MARCH The Tampa Tribune
Published: September 22, 2008

THE VILLAGES - Vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin repeated the McCain campaign's recent themes - mainly bashing Barack Obama on taxes and vowing more domestic oil drilling - in a speech Sunday to a huge crowd that sweltered in an outdoor square at this huge retirement complex.

"The most appropriate sign there - 'Sweatin' for Sarah,'" she said, opening her speech to a crowd security officials at the scene estimated at 25,000 or more. It may have been the largest crowd ever for a presidential campaign event in Florida.

George W. Bush was reported to have drawn about 20,000 in 2004 at The Villages, a complex with about 80,000 residents; Obama drew more than 15,000 in Tampa in May, the largest crowd for a campaign event in the city.
At The Villages, scores needed first aid or to be evacuated after fainting in the heat, which exceeded 90 degrees in the mostly unshaded square.

Many waited for up to three hours prior to the 4 p.m. speech, after working their way through an immense traffic jam outside the central square of the retirement complex, and in some cases walking a mile or more from parking areas.

Palin, though, played it safe in her first campaign visit to Florida since being picked by John McCain as his running mate.

She appeared in a strongly Republican area and delivered a speech that only sounded the campaign's general themes, avoiding details or any mention of foreign policy other than the Iraq war.

Among her most popular applause lines was a proposal for more oil drilling.
"We are going to drill now to make this nation energy independent," Palin said.
She said that as vice president, her work would focus on government reform, energy independence, and help for families with developmentally disabled children.

Palin also sounded the populist theme McCain began in a speech in Tampa after the financial meltdown last week.

"People in Florida are and should be outraged," she said. "Huge financial institutions going under because of their own bad practices and now asking the public to bail them out. ... reckless CEOs walking off with multimillion-dollar golden parachutes."

After last week's financial meltdown, she said, "John McCain took a clear stand and he offered his own recovery plan. Our opponent refused to even take a stand on the position."

Cont. here:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep/22/na-florida-fans-break-sweat-at-palin-rally/

Go Here and Make Your Voice Heard

PBS Poll: "Do you think Sarah Palin is qualified to be vice-president?"

http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html

10,000 Turn Out for McCain-Palin in Greeb Bay,Wis.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., accompanied by his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, speaks during a rally for business leaders, Friday, Sept. 19, 2008, in Green Bay, Wis. With the GOP candidates showing strength among the state's young, suburban women, they zeroed in on Anoka County.


By BOB VON STERNBERG and MIKE KASZUBA, Star Tribune staff writers
Last update: September 20, 2008 - 12:07 AM

John McCain and Sarah Palin brought their campaign back to Minnesota Friday, appearing before thousands of roaring supporters in a cavernous hangar at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport.

At the same hour, Barack Obama's backers filled Peavy Plaza in downtown Minneapolis -- and roared back.

With polls showing Minnesota reemerging as a battleground state in the election, the campaigns appear to be targeting key voter groups that could tip the balance.

At both events, participants carried signs playing off the lipstick motif Palin has injected into the campaign -- "Read my Lipstick" read placards at each rally -- spelling out in red and white the key role women voters are expected to play on Nov. 4.

Independent, middle-class voters are another crucial group the campaigns are wooing. A recent Star Tribune Minnesota Poll showed them splitting the independent vote almost evenly.

But McCain and Palin also played to their base supporters, delivering slashing attacks against Obama in their remarks. Both were lustily cheered, unlike earlier appearances this week, when enthusiasm for Palin overshadowed McCain.

"Our opponent points the finger of blame, but has he ever lifted a finger to help?" Palin asked.

"NO!" the crowd responded.

As vice president, Palin said, she will concentrate her efforts on government reform, energy independence and help for children with special needs, a personal priority because her 4-month-old son suffers from Down syndrome.
When she talked about the need to diversify the nation's energy supply, Palin was greeted by the "Drill, Baby, Drill" chant that had rocked the Republican convention.

Palin condemned Iran's attempt to develop nuclear weapons. "Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons -- period!" she said.
McCain decried this week's Wall Street meltdown, saying if he is elected "the forces that brought down our economy will be out of business."

The financial crisis, McCain said, had its roots in "the Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling." McCain said he tried two years ago to legislate reforms of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. "Congress did nothing, the administration did nothing, Sen. Obama did nothing" -- other than, he said, "to take their money."

Although both candidates have received campaign contributions from the two organizations and their officials, Obama got far more than McCain.
"NO-BAMA!" chanted the audience, some 10,000 strong.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis

At Peavey Plaza, about 3,000 Obama supporters delighted just as heartily in shots at McCain -- and even more so, at Palin.

"We can almost see Canada from here," said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak after welcoming the GOP ticket to the Twin Cities. "That will double her [Palin's] foreign policy experience." The crowd cheered and whooped.
A middle-aged woman wore a T-shirt that read "I'm a hockey mom, but I ain't no Pit Bull," playing off a joke Palin told in her convention acceptance speech that introduced the "lipstick" theme to the campaign.

Lipstick was mentioned on numerous signs in the crowd, including one bearing a picture of President Bush wearing lipstick.

The Palin phenomenon

McCain's swing through the Upper Midwest -- today's rally followed stops Thursday in Iowa and Wisconsin -- underscores the importance of the region to the ticket's chances on Nov. 4. Last week's Minnesota Poll showed the race in the state tied at 45 percent.

That poll also shows some potential targets of opportunity for McCain among Minnesota's female voters.

His pick of Palin was widely seen as being a bid to capture more female votes, which have tended Democratic for years. Although polls don't yet show a dramatic shift overall, the Minnesota Poll did find the GOP ticket showing strength in several female demographic pockets.

Specifically, McCain is running most strongly among young women, women who live in the suburbs and women with moderate incomes.

Appealing to women

The search for such voters may have inspired the rally's location in Anoka County, a moderate income suburban region that has swung in recent elections between the major parties and sometimes in favor of third-party hopefuls.
Young women, many with children in tow, showed up in droves at Friday's rally.
Julie Fuerst, 36, wore a black homemade t-shirt that read "Palin Rocks" and held her 2-year-old son, Lincoln. "I made it last night," said Fuerst, who lives in Andover and described herself as a "critical thinker" and a Republican.
"I love her because she didn't intend to go into politics," said Fuerst. "It was the way it was meant to be."

Thirty-year-old Melissa Clark stood outside holding a double-wide stroller, where her 9-month-old twins, Emma and Sara, quietly sat. Her other daughter, 9-year-old Hannah, held a red, white and blue sign that read, "Less Taxes Is Patriotic," a dig at Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden's statement that having the wealthy pay higher taxes would be patriotic.
"I consider myself a conservative. I've voted Democratic before," said Clark, a homemaker in Elk River.

Lindsay Koneczny, 18, and her friend Elisia Meyer, 20, drove from Prior Lake to make it to the rally. "[I'm] definitely more of a Republican," said Meyer, who lives in Burnsville and recently graduated from Augsburg College.

But this, said Meyer, was her first political rally. "I support them, especially since Palin was added to the ticket," she said. "If you watched the [Republican National Convention] she was pretty much the only exciting part of it ... ."
"She's a little bit of all of us," said Brooklyn Park resident Nora Greteman. "I feel empowered by her because she is a middle-class woman. "John McCain, he's, you know, he's like an ordinary politician with some outstanding qualities. But Sarah is a phenomenon."

Cont.here:

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/28676954.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUzyaUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

Photo gallery: McCain rally in Blaine


Staff writer Aimee Blanchette contributed to this report. vonste@startribune.com • 612-673-7184 mkaszuba@startribute.com • 651-222-1673
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/28676954.html?page=2&c=y

Meet Joe Biden: Democratic Attack Dog

'He's half Pit bull and half Collie. He'll tear an arm off and then go for help.'

“If I sound angry, it’s because I am angry,” Mr. Biden told a few hundred people gathered at a high-school football field. Yes, he sounds angry, yelling through his stump speeches, flailing his arms and telling a (supportive) member of the audience to “Shush up, will you?” (“I’m kidding, he added, but did not sound it.)

But the reality for Mr. Biden is that while running mates are second-fiddlers by definition, the phenomenon of Ms. Palin has rendered him something of a fourth or fifth fiddle. It is not like last month, when reporters swarmed Mr. Biden’s Delaware home and delegates swooned at the Democratic convention. He is now trailed by just a few national reporters, and struggling to break through in a race marked by historic firsts, political celebrities and charismatic newcomers — none named Joe Biden.

The Obama campaign was hoping to reintroduce Mr. Biden this week as running mate attack dog. But his penchant for verbal rambling ensured that much of the attention he drew was unwanted: he said wealthy Americans had a “patriotic” duty to pay more taxes, a remark the McCain campaign mocked relentlessly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/us/politics/20biden.html?ref=politics

The Republican Resurgence

September 19th, 2008

BY JOSHUA M. SMITH
Lions’ Pride Online Editor

My, my, how the tables have turned.

Just a few weeks ago, Senator Barack Obama was considered unbeatable in this presidential election. Now, he, his running mate, Senator Joe Biden, and his campaign managers are scrambling to find a way to deal with Senator John McCain, who has surged ahead in the polls after a hugely successful Republican National Convention and his unconventional choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

In a brilliant political move, McCain announced Palin as his running mate the morning after Obama’s would-be triumphant coronation ceremony at Invesco Field in Denver. There were 80,000 people screaming for him in the stadium, 38 million people watching him at home, but, when day broke, Obama’s spectacle was literally yesterday’s news.

Palin has taken the nation by storm. Left-wing kooks at DailyKos.com did their very best to issue forth the absolute worst possible slander against her. The national media picked up on the rumors and did what they could to break Palin before she could properly introduce herself to the country. All of that negative attention only fueled national interest in Palin, which resulted in the highest number of viewers in history for a running mate’s speech at a national convention. Palin’s RNC speech was watched by even more people than had watched Obama one week before, and her flawlessly delivered speech was a grand slam home run.

Republicans, many of whom were disheartened and depressed by the drawn out and bruising primary season, had little reason to get excited about McCain or the individuals he had been rumored to be considering for the V.P. slot. Many feared McCain would pick a pro-choice Republican and send the entire party into revolt. McCain’s choice of Palin changed all of that.

Republicans are motivated by the Palin pick in a way they have not been since at least 2004 or perhaps, 1984. Palin is well-liked, strong, smart, and scrappy—exactly what Washington needs. She has reinforced McCain’s reputation as a reformer and helped remind the nation of the GOP’s long tradition as the party of freedom and progress.

The Angry Left, of course, is burning up. They can’t stand the possibility of a conservative, pro-life woman in the White House because it overturns the very idea of what a “feminist” is. Feminism was once about the advancement of women and their right to determine their own destinies. Later, the movement was hijacked by the pro-abortion movement in this country to such an extent that a successful, ambitious working mother like Palin is the ultimate threat. So, they will likely continue their attacks to the bitter end.

And that’s just fine for the McCain campaign. Every sexist attack leveled at Palin from the Left serves to energize the conservative base even further. Every new lie about Palin keeps the media talking about her (and McCain’s campaign) and not about Obama.

And every attack on Palin’s supposed lack of experience only reinforces the fact that Obama has less experience than she does. Every pundit who claims McCain did not properly vet Palin reinforces the fact that the Democrats and the media did not properly vet their own messianic candidate.

http://pride-online.net/wp/2008/09/19/the-republican-resurgence/

Clinton Strategist Warns Obama and the Media

Basically what Mark Penn seems to be saying is "You're losing it."

Mark Penn, Clinton strategist, warns Obama -- and the media

A veteran Democratic political strategist has some advice for what appears to many to be a Barack Obama campaign rattled by the explosive entrance into the campaign of John McCain's vice president pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Mark Penn, the high-priced strategist who did such a good early job of launching Hillary Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign to doom at the hands of Obama, tells CBS.com he's worried that the Windy City gang will repeat the mistakes of the last two losing Democratic presidential campaigns by returning to the base after their convention instead of staying more on the convention message of centrism.


"The fact that the Republican convention was as successful as it was, was basically out of the hands of the Obama campaign," Penn acknowledges.
"I think these polls will settle down close to even. And I think the real important thing [for Obama] is not to overreact, not to be caught in a back and forth with Palin, but to get your candidate rising above it."

Penn also has a strong warning for the media, caught unawares by the Palin selection and now eagerly pursuing virtually anything to do with her.
"I think here the media is on very dangerous ground," Penn tells CBS.com. "I think that when you see them going through every single expense report that Gov. Palin ever filed, if they don't do that for all four of the candidates, they're on very dangerous ground.

"I think the media so far has been the biggest loser in this race. And they continue to have growing credibility problems.

"And I think that that's a real problem growing out of this election. The media now, all of the media -- not just Fox News, that was perceived as highly partisan -- but all of the media is now being viewed as partisan in one way or another. And that is an unfortunate development."

So does the strategist, who had his own complaints about sexism in media coverage about Sen. Clinton, think the media is being harder on Palin than other candidates?

"I think that the media is doing the kinds of stories on Palin that they're not doing on the other candidates. And that's going to subject them to people concluding that they're giving her a tougher time.

"Now, the media defense would be, 'Yeah, we looked at these other candidates who have been in public life at an earlier time.'

"What happened here very clearly is that the controversy over Palin led to 37 million Americans tuning into a vice-presidential speech -- something that is unprecedented -- because they wanted to see for themselves," Penn adds. "This is an election in which the voters are going to decide for themselves. The media has lost credibility with them."

Palin Interview on Hannity pt 4

Palin Interview on Hannity pt 3