Posted by
Steve on Thursday, June 28, 2007 9:27:51 AM
NOTICE: THIS BLOG HAS MOVED, AND I HOPE YOU'LL FOLLOW ME. YOU CAN GET THERE BY GOING TO: http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com/
Don't forget the "a" (small letters after "victory"). You'll also find the blogspot link on my blogroll. To the 8,000-plus visitors I've had, thanks so much for hanging in with me. I'll be here until after the election of 2008
Some Final Thoughts About Fred: A Portrait in Grayness
I wrote yesterday about my "Fred Thompson problem." I recommended the Wikipedia article on him, although I noted that it is not the last word on the man.
It boils down to this: I don't like the way Fred has conducted his life. As a U.S. Senator, he left no footprints on the institution of Congress. When his nation was in trouble after 9/11, he retired from the Senate, went to Hollywood, made a gazillion dollars (in addition to the huge sums he made from lobbying), and married the young blonde, trophy wife. Now, he's campaigning in front of followers apparently delighted by his writing one pedestrian essay after another – not, of course, that HE’s actually writing them.
When the election is held in November, 2008, Fred and I will have this in common: we’ll both be on Medicare and Social Security. If he had a heart condition, I guess he's be nearly perfect.
For Republicans, Fred would be another in a relatively long line of over-the-Hill politicians seeking his Last Hurrah. An aging man in a gray suit, with a gray complexion, peddling the most monochromatic of conservative pieties.
Somehow, I don’t think that gray is going to be the dominant color on Election Day 2008. The Democrats running for President (and Vice-President) include a white female (Clinton), a black man (Obama), and a “brown” Hispanic (Richardson). Against that dynamic blend of gender, race, and ethnicity, we’re considering our classic ticket of two old white guys loaded with political and personal baggage.
As an againg white guy myself, I’m not impressed by my Party’s geriatric tendencies.
I have NEVER voted for a Democrat for President or for Congress. Would I vote for Fred in a race against, say, Hillary Clinton? The fact that I pause for even a few seconds before saying “yes” speaks volumes about my concern over this man’s candidacy.
Let's be candid: Is he really our "Savior"?
Sarah in Alaska, Me in Ambridge
Here are short bios and e-mail links to the main reporters in Alaska who are covering Sarah Palin.
Kyle Hopkins covered the 2006 campaign for governor and is covering the Palin administration's transition. Before joining the Daily News in 2005, he was a writer for the Anchorage Press and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. E-mail him at khopkins@adn.com. Sabra Ayres covers Alaska state politics and the legislature from our capitol bureau in Juneau. Before joining the Daily News in December 2006, Sabra covered the former Soviet Union as a Moscow correspondent for the Cox Newspapers. We urge you to follow Kyle's and Sabra's writings in the Anchorage Daily News (http://ADN.com).
Email Sabra at sayres@adn.com. I believe she wrote the following where she cited palinforvp's blog:
Palin, the time-traveling vice president
Posted: June 27, 2007 - 10:12 amStopped by the Sarah Palin for Vice President Web site lately? One of the more recent posts is a collection of pictures from the state Web site. The blogger, who describes himself as a college student, writes: “I particularly love the ones of the Governor visiting our troops, I couldn't help but get the eerie feeling that they were beamed back from the future and I was watching Vice-President Palin boosting morale on a trip to Iraq.”Most interesting is the collection of links to other blogs pondering a Palin candidacy. 'Save the GOP' writes: “With all of the likely Republican presidential nominees men over age 60, could a 43 year-old immensely popular female Governor be the perfect running mate?”
That original blog comment and responses to it have produced tremendous traffic. Here's one negative response:
Listen ElephantMan, "Christopher" and Steve in MA [he means PA] - Sarah is indeed good looking. No one will contest that. She's a nice person as well. It's just that she's fabulously untested. Shortly after she became gov of our fair State she was asked her opinion of the war in Iraq - and she... well, she.... well, she.... she chose to pass on a comment. Why? Because she didn't know what to say."
Here's my (Steve's) response to him:
Sarah, Breath of Fresh Air
I noted the comment from the person who said that Sarah Palin passed on the opportunity to "comment" on the issue of Iraq. In fact, Sarah should not comment on issues that are outside her purview as Governor of Alaska. States do not have their own foreign policies.
Al Capp, the cartoonist, once described himself as "an expert on nothing with opinions on everything."
I fear Sarah's critic fits right into that category. Issues like Iraq, immigration, and intererstate natural gas pipelines are difficult matters, and they don't lend themselves to 20-second soundbites by Al Capp imitators.
Sarah should speak on issues only when they're matter of major concern to her constituents. In fact, she can bring clear eyes and new perspectives to issues -- including Iraq -- that have degenerated into political foodfights. So, a high-five to her for resisting the temptation to recite pat answers to complex problems. The country could use some more leaders like that.
As to the supposed "Yahoos" supporting Sarah, they include at least two people with Ph.d.'s, including yours truly. They also incude students and political activists from PA, MN, MI, CO, CA, TX, and MA, as well as other states. New bloggers are joining every day. All of them have written serious pieces on Sarah and why we think she's right for America.
We salute Kyle and Sabra for taking note of this national effort. This is probably the most authentic draft movement ever to take place in the lower-48 (and the upper and outward-2). I urge anyone who thinks this is not a serious movement to visit some key web sites, including: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com and my own site: http://camp2008victory.townhall.com.
Stephen (Steve) R. Maloney, Ph.D.
Ambridge, PA
Coordinator, Palin 4 VP
[Note: Since all bloggers for Palin are "coordinators," I'm not over-stating my role]
The poet T. S. Eliot once said, "April is the cruelest month . . . mixing memory and desire." For Sarah's supporters, July will be a tough month as we add supporters in what will be the equivalent of heavy lifting. Right now, the "base" consists of about a dozen people (bloggers). When we get to two-dozen plus, things will start to move quickly. By Labor Day, we will have 100-plus supporters, and after the Movement will start to spread like wildfire.
Would love to hear your comments . . .