US Features
PROFILE: Sarah Palin - ambitious, conservative and little known
Oct 28, 2008, 7:59 GMT
CNN is claiming that "long-brewing tensions between GOP vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin and key aides to Sen. John McCain have become so intense, they are spilling out in public." EPA/Steve Pope
Washington - Until late August, few people had ever heard of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, even within the United States.
Now, the woman named by Republican presidential nominee John McCain's as his running mate is the subject of headlines and debate around the world, and increasingly a contentious figure for Democrat, independent voters and even some leading Republicans.
Following several slip-ups in interviews, which exposed Palin's lack of experience in several fields of policy, there were record TV ratings for her one debate against Democratic counterpart and rival Joe Biden.
Cheekiness, disposition for attack, ambition and drive are the trademarks of the 44-year-old mother of five children. Because of her aggressive attitude on the basketball court in high school, she was nicknamed 'Sarah Barracuda' by her teammates.
Palin - a keen hunter since her youth, and a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) - studied journalism and politics. At 32, she became mayor of her home town Wasilla, with 9,000 people. There, she made a name for herself as a skilled, enterprising manager. From 2003, as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, she fought the influence of lobbyists.
In 2006 she comfortably won election as governor of Alaska. Palin earned respect with her cross-party fight against corruption, but that was somewhat tarnished by allegations of abuse of her own power. Earlier this month, a state investigation found she had abused her position by firing an official for allegedly refusing to dismiss a state trooper who was divorced from her sister.
Sarah Palin is very conservative. She rejects the theory of evolution and she is against same-sex marriage, sex education at school and abortion. Her six-month-old son suffers from Down's syndrome. Palin found out during her pregnancy, but she chose to have the child nonetheless, a decision which has endeared her to conservative Republican voters.
Palin is seen often carrying the baby, Trig, on the campaign trail.
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Older Talkback
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Even more damaging is her sheer ignorance of the 5% of the World's surface which is America, and how the modern World operates.
As for oil - didn't you know God drives around in a big tanker filling up oilfields so that the gas guzzling Americans can continue their wasteful lifestyle (after all it is God's own country !!) and have excuses for invading other countries
Disgusting how she is using that baby on the campaign trail! She isn't even aware how much oil Alaska is putting out, saying she was in control of 20% of oil in the U.S. in Alaska when it was only in the single digits. Even the Anchorage News endorses Obama in the state that would know her better than anywhere else..........case closed.
It sounds like there are problems in the McCain camp - Palin isn't sticking to the script. What a surprise for a barracuda-maverick.
Politico reporters Jim VandeHei and John F. Harris examine the claim that the media are overwhelmingly biased against the McCain campaign, conclude that it’s true, and then sum up their response in two words: “So what?”
Why McCain is getting hosed in the press.
OK, let’s just get this over with: Yes, in the closing weeks of this election, John McCain and Sarah Palin are getting hosed in the press, and at Politico.
And, yes, based on a combined 35 years in the news business we’d take an educated guess — nothing so scientific as a Pew study — that Obama will win the votes of probably 80 percent or more of journalists covering the 2008 election. Most political journalists we know are centrists — instinctually skeptical of ideological zealotry — but with at least a mild liberal tilt to their thinking, particularly on social issues.
So what?
You see, political journalists are a special breed of human being.
Responsible editors would be foolish not to ask themselves the bias question, especially in the closing days of an election.
But, having asked it, our sincere answer is that of the factors driving coverage of this election — and making it less enjoyable for McCain to read his daily clip file than for Obama — ideological favoritism ranks virtually nil.
So there you have it. Stop complaining about bias, and accept the opinions of your betters, America.
Obama attended a party for PLO spokesman Rashid Khalidi which was attended by Bill Ayers, the terrorist turned education professor and his wife, Bernardine Dohrn. Obama, despite his denials is on tape tosting his terrorist associates.
At the Washington Post, Howard Kurtz takes notice of the Los Angeles Times’ refusal to release a videotape of Barack Obama at a party for former PLO spokesman Rashid Khalidi. And the McCain campaign has noticed this too:
The L.A. Times ran a story last April about a 2003 party at which Obama said nice things about Palestinian rights advocate and Israel critic Rashid Khalidi, who he said reminds him “of my own blind spots and my own biases. . . . It’s for that reason that I’m hoping that, for many years to come, we continue that conversation — a conversation that is necessary not just around Mona and Rashid’s dinner table [but around] this entire world.”
The McCain camp tells me the paper refused to release a videotape of the remarks that it had obtained. Little Green Footballs calls that “media malfeasance of an almost astounding degree. They have a video that could change the stakes in this election and they’re hiding it.”
“We’re not a video service,” Doyle McManus, the Times Washington bureau chief, tells me. “We’re not suppressing anything. We were the first to report on these facts.” He declines to say whether the paper considered posting the video.
The Los Angeles Times is currently hemorrhaging readers, laying off employees, and losing advertisers. Releasing this video would be very good for their bottom line; a lot of people are interested in it. Does this mean they’re more invested in seeing Barack Obama win the election than in being profitable? Shouldn’t the remaining shareholders in the company be concerned about this attitude?
Sarah Palin Talks About Her $35 Wedding Ring: 'It's Not What It's Made Of... It's What It Represents'
It's not every day you hear a prominent politician talk about their $35 ring and actually being proud of it.
No wonder they hate her. Sarah Palin is an American classic.
Today in Florida where she was campaigning with Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Sean Hannity, she talked about her thrift store clothes and her earrings made by her Indian mother in law in Alaska. Palin told the crowd that she bought the wedding ring herself she said, 'It's not what it's made of... It's what it represents.'
You won't hear that too often in the elitist social circles.
This will just make them hate her more.
She is hated because she is a conservative bible thumping christian conservative with both her and her running mate anti abortion. Part of the same group that saddled us with Bush for the last 8 years. In regards to your comments:
'Today in Florida where she was campaigning with Elizabeth Hasselbeck'
Between the two of them there is not one fully educated brain.
'and Sean Hannity'
The biggest liar of talk radio.
'she talked about her thrift store clothes and her earrings made by her Indian mother in law in Alaska. Palin told the crowd that she bought the wedding ring herself she said, 'It's not what it's made of... It's what it represents.'
It does not matter how great or warming this sounds. The fact is that she is not educated enough to be a heartbeat away from a man that has had the worst kind of cancer. She needs more experience (Obama may have as you say 'less) but he is much more highly educated and understands things much better than Palin. Palin is great for Alaska, if she is what they want, but not in any stretch of the imagination ready for the spot she is running for.
Thank god we only have 6 more days until this is over. Your spamming is really getting to me.
'She is hated because she is a conservative bible thumping christian[sic] conservative '
So much for liberal tolerance. If she were any other religion you would be falling over yourself to praise her, you toss out her Christianity because you have your own set of pet hates.
'Part of the same group that saddled us with Bush for the last 8 years.'
And Clinton...And Obama. (allegedly)
'Between the two of them there is not one fully educated brain.'
You display your ignorance every time you take to the keyboard.
'The biggest liar of talk radio.'
He should run for the democratic ticket then, you seem to adore the biggest liar in politics, your own personal Obamamessiah.
'. The fact is that she is not educated enough to be a heartbeat away from a man that has had the worst kind of cancer.'
Firstly, You confuse indoctrinated with educated. Secondly, she has more political experience and higher approval ratings then Obama. Obama was 'uneducated'enough to think he was qualified to be president after 143 days.
When do we get to see Obamas SAT scores by the way? His wife didn't qualify to get in to Princeton, did he qualify to get in to Columbia?
'but he is much more highly educated and understands things much better than Palin.'
And you have determined this how? Because he can speak off the teleprompter? Because of his dismal record in the jobs he had previously? Because he told you so?
'but not in any stretch of the imagination ready for the spot she is running for.'
She is running for Vice President. Someone who's only real duty is a spare tire on government. Obama is unqualified to do the job he is running for, the most important job to our safety and prosperity. There must be some small part of you that knows that to be true... yet you plow on.
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Larny BudgieOct 28th, 2008 - 08:32:35
You are so kind. Too kind in fact.
The woman is steeped in ignorance, arrogance and corruption. Her mentor went down yesterday for corruption. She has no problem wielding her power in order to settle scores on behalf of her family. She is dangerous, frivilous and make no mistake she couldn't care less about you, me or anyone else.
Sarah Palin is a stunt...but she can see Russia from her window.
Joke
By The Way - where does she think all that oil comes from if the world is only 6000 years old?
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