Sarah Who?
Liza Porteus Viana
Contributor
Posted:
08/29/08
John McCain shocked some in the Republican establishment today with his pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. 
Just to play devil's advocate, here are some reasons why McCain might be criticized for choosing who he did, not least of which that Republicans can no longer shoot down Barack Obama for his lack of experience. The choice of Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., balances the Democratic ticket, and the choice of Palin just decreased the "experience" strength of a possible Republican ticket.
-At age 44, Palin is a relative newcomer to politics, only having served as governor for less than two years. Prior, she served as the mayor of Wasilla, an Alaska town with a population of about 8,000. She previously serves on the town's planning commission. She's a generation younger than Biden. McCain passed over several more prominent prospects Republicans were banking on - including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
-This is a blatant play toward women voters, particularly those who supported Hillary Clinton
-She's a pro-lifer, which obviously helps with many Republicans but probably won't help much in wooing any pro-choice Hillary Democrats not convinced Obama is the right choice.
-Palin's husband Todd Palin, works for BP oil company. Democrats are sure to have a field day with this, as they argue that a vote for McCain is a vote for the same as what we've had for the past eight years - oil men in the White House running the country, influenced by other oil men. According to Campaign Money Watch, 33 McCain staffers and fundraisers have received $19.3 million in lobbying fees from at least 30 oil and gas industry corporations and associations. One of McCain's big bundlers has been paid $3.13 million since 1999 to lobby for major oil and gas interests, including BP, her husband's company. During former Gov. Frank Murkowski's term, Sarah Palin was tapped as head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
-She's a major supporter of ANWR drilling, which may help curry favor with Republicans but she's publicly taken McCain to task for his opposition to it. In June, McCain told voters in Missouri and Minnesota that he was open to learning more about exploration on Alaska's coastal plain, but said: "I certainly haven't changed my position." McCain has likened drilling in ANWR to drilling in the Grand Canyon.
During a recent CNBC, interview, host Larry Kudlow asked Palin about ANWR, noting that McCain said the area is too pristine to drill, Obama said it won't work.
She responded: "Well it will work and Senator McCain's wrong on that issue. He's right on a whole lot of other issues so thank goodness, and he's understanding and evolving with his position on OCS [Outer Continental Shelf] so that's encouraging. I think he's going to evolve into eventually supporting ANWR opening also. "
In early August, Palin was quick to align herself with part of Obama's energy plan, particularly in his support of tapping Alaska's natural gas reserves, and his $1,000 rebate offer to those struggling with home heating costs.
"This is a tool that must be on the table to buy us time until our long-term energy plans can be put into place," Palin said. "We have already enjoyed the support of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, and it is gratifying to see Senator Obama get on board."
-She's got a scandal marring her governorship right now, with the Republican-controlled state legislature looking into whether she ordered the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.
-Up until recently, she didn't even know what the vice president does. Perhaps she still doesn't. Just a month ago, he told CNBC that the post wasn't "productive." Politico.com reminds us that Palin said: "As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I'm used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we're trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question."
-Last but not least, she's anti-polar bear. What?!
Palin caused a bit of a stir in January when her administration opposed efforts to move the polar bears from the vulnerable to endangered species list, and for academics to gain access to research on Alaska's polar bears.
"There is insufficient evidence that polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct within the foreseeable future -- the trigger for protection under the ESA," she wrote in a January 2008 editorial. "And there is no evidence that polar bears are being mismanaged through existing international agreements and the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The U.S. Interior department added the polar bear to the list in May, saying: "The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This loss of habitat puts polar bears at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future, the standard established by the ESA for designating a threatened species."
Just to play devil's advocate, here are some reasons why McCain might be criticized for choosing who he did, not least of which that Republicans can no longer shoot down Barack Obama for his lack of experience. The choice of Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., balances the Democratic ticket, and the choice of Palin just decreased the "experience" strength of a possible Republican ticket.
-At age 44, Palin is a relative newcomer to politics, only having served as governor for less than two years. Prior, she served as the mayor of Wasilla, an Alaska town with a population of about 8,000. She previously serves on the town's planning commission. She's a generation younger than Biden. McCain passed over several more prominent prospects Republicans were banking on - including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
-This is a blatant play toward women voters, particularly those who supported Hillary Clinton
-She's a pro-lifer, which obviously helps with many Republicans but probably won't help much in wooing any pro-choice Hillary Democrats not convinced Obama is the right choice.
-Palin's husband Todd Palin, works for BP oil company. Democrats are sure to have a field day with this, as they argue that a vote for McCain is a vote for the same as what we've had for the past eight years - oil men in the White House running the country, influenced by other oil men. According to Campaign Money Watch, 33 McCain staffers and fundraisers have received $19.3 million in lobbying fees from at least 30 oil and gas industry corporations and associations. One of McCain's big bundlers has been paid $3.13 million since 1999 to lobby for major oil and gas interests, including BP, her husband's company. During former Gov. Frank Murkowski's term, Sarah Palin was tapped as head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
-She's a major supporter of ANWR drilling, which may help curry favor with Republicans but she's publicly taken McCain to task for his opposition to it. In June, McCain told voters in Missouri and Minnesota that he was open to learning more about exploration on Alaska's coastal plain, but said: "I certainly haven't changed my position." McCain has likened drilling in ANWR to drilling in the Grand Canyon.
During a recent CNBC, interview, host Larry Kudlow asked Palin about ANWR, noting that McCain said the area is too pristine to drill, Obama said it won't work.
She responded: "Well it will work and Senator McCain's wrong on that issue. He's right on a whole lot of other issues so thank goodness, and he's understanding and evolving with his position on OCS [Outer Continental Shelf] so that's encouraging. I think he's going to evolve into eventually supporting ANWR opening also. "
In early August, Palin was quick to align herself with part of Obama's energy plan, particularly in his support of tapping Alaska's natural gas reserves, and his $1,000 rebate offer to those struggling with home heating costs.
"This is a tool that must be on the table to buy us time until our long-term energy plans can be put into place," Palin said. "We have already enjoyed the support of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, and it is gratifying to see Senator Obama get on board."
-She's got a scandal marring her governorship right now, with the Republican-controlled state legislature looking into whether she ordered the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.
-Up until recently, she didn't even know what the vice president does. Perhaps she still doesn't. Just a month ago, he told CNBC that the post wasn't "productive." Politico.com reminds us that Palin said: "As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I'm used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we're trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question."
-Last but not least, she's anti-polar bear. What?!
Palin caused a bit of a stir in January when her administration opposed efforts to move the polar bears from the vulnerable to endangered species list, and for academics to gain access to research on Alaska's polar bears.
"There is insufficient evidence that polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct within the foreseeable future -- the trigger for protection under the ESA," she wrote in a January 2008 editorial. "And there is no evidence that polar bears are being mismanaged through existing international agreements and the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The U.S. Interior department added the polar bear to the list in May, saying: "The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This loss of habitat puts polar bears at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future, the standard established by the ESA for designating a threatened species."