Well I thought Palin's whole charm is she is an outsider with small town values and will shake up congress. I hear what you are saying, but she can't have it both ways. If voters like her because she represents small town values, how do voters know she will try to implement those small town values. As far as what she will do with regard to abortion issues is put supreme court justices who agree with her position on abortion. With as stong as she feels on the topic, how can she pick a supreme court judge that feels otherwise. I don't know if it is about values, beliefs or how she feels about issues . . . but America wants to know how she stands on issues among other things such as abortion, gay rights, war and even banning books. She did act on the book thing asking the librarian a couple times about the her position on banning books and then firing the librarian shortly after Palin got the response she was against banning books.
Despite holding these values, she's never pushed them on anyone else or used her office to push them as part of her agenda. Her views are identical to Joe Biden's, FWIW.
So then why does VP matter? If they're the same, why did Palin get as many viewers as Obama, even if she holds the same views as Biden?
Is it not a legitimate concern? I'm not saying people should factor that in when voting, just pointing out how it could be appropriate to be concerned about her beliefs.
People are curious because she's unknown. Biden was on Meet the Press two sundays ago and was asked his view on abortion, and it literally is the same as Palin's - he's religious, believes life begins at conception, but wouldn't force his views on anyone else. The VP's job is to basically attend state funerals and cast tie breaking votes in the senate (is president of the senate, technically). And to hope nothing happens to the president. Doing the job as president is not something that people are going to come in and be good at right away. Reagan had a rough start for a couple of years, so did Clinton, and they were governors who moved in their existing staff who ran a state. The guy we elect this time is going to be a senator without the benefit of such a staff. I wouldn't place too much on the experience thing, except in foreign policy where the president doesn't have to deal much with congress to get things done.
It's a scare tactic, what else is there to say? The left complains the right scares people with the terrorism threat, but the left is just as guilty when it comes to overturning Roe, killing social security, and other similar non-issues.
I think the Obama should stop attacking Palin on whether she has enough experience to be president, but rather if she is competent enough to be president. I think the latter is a lot more effective argument.
Because there are so many "casual" voters out there. I can't remember the real term for them, I remember hearing it in one of my poli sci classes. A lot of people (of all races) will vote for Obama because he is black, a lot (of all races) of people won't vote for him because he is black. A lot of people (men and women) will vote vote McCain because he has a woman as his running mate, a lot of people (men and women) won't vote for him for that same reason. These are the type of people who don't follow the issues, but vote based on party politics or the demographic that appeals most to them. In short, the VP doesn't matter because of the issues it matters because of the demographics that it draws in.
Assuming Stevens steps down in the next four years, and McCain appoints a judge like Scalia or Thomas. Don't you think Roberts or Alito would vote in favor to overturn Roe?
..And the McCain campaign would hit back with charges of sexism. If I'm Obama, I drive home the perception at least that lack of regulation under the Bush administration brought upon this financial mess we have today. Drive, drive, drive home the economy.
Right now isn't the right time. But if she goes on Meet the Press and flops, then will be the time to strike on these charges. After the VP debates if Biden embarasses her, will be a good time to make those charges as well. I think after that ABC interview, would have been a good time too, but for some reason, there was a large faction of people that thought she did good in that interview.
No. I think SCOTUS rarely overturns one of its previous rulings, they take precedent quite seriously. I also think that SCOTUS contrives votes to be 5-4 on things like Abortion because it achieves the desired result (not overturn) and still represents the close nature of the general public's opinion on the subject.
If you're the Obama campaign you go after Palin at your own risk. Me personally, I don't think they're going to do well against Palin. It's a waste of time. The economy is right there. We just had what some are calling the worst single day drop since the Depression. People are losing their homes. It's there, hammer it home.
