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Chez Andrew
Andrew Lam is a NAM editor and author of "Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora" (Heyday Books, 2005), which recently won a PEN/Beyond Margins Award.
According to AP Sarah Palin refused to talk and comment after the Mccain-Obama Debate. After all, she’s done so badly so far with the press. The performance she gave with Katie Couric was widely panned and reported by the NY Times with the headlines: A Question Reprised, but the Words Come None Too Easily for Palin. But it was funny to see tv anchors after the presidential debate, seeking comments, going from Biden to Rudolph Giuliani, who declared like a crooked referee that John Mccain won when the consensus is that it was a tie. A friend of mine quipped, rather unkindly, “Well, since Sarah’s missing, the Republicans are trying to put lipstick on this pig and hope that it’s okay.” Sarah Palin’s conspicuous absence is a big no-no. I smell a rat. She’s been coddled and managed but this is no way to treat a VP candidate. If she’s a real fighter let her go out instead of Giuliani and chew the scene. Alas, the campaign hides her instead and it gives off this feeling that she’s insecure and intellectual incapable, and not the right person to deal with real issues at hand. No wonder Letterman, who tore Mccain a new one for standing him up during his show: also trashed Sarah who couldn’t replace Mccain. She’s poise and articulate. But that’s not the same as being informed and having experience. Which is funny and ironic because she uses the word “naive” – “naive” btw is the republican operative word (like Reagan’s phrase ‘there you go again’) – to describe Obama. But her lack of experience is quite obvious in the CBS interview with Couric.. And now the woman is sort of the lightning rod for bad press. Even some conservatives are now thinking she’s a drag. How quick things change in American politics! At first she seemed formidable. But that image has given way to caricature, a word she couldn’t come up with on her her own during the CBS interview and settled for being “mocked.” Personally, i think her down fall started on Saturday Night Live with the Tina Fey skit in which Fey played her to the exact. But funnier. And somehow when the skit went on youtube to millions of hits, that image of formidability overnight slid toward the ridicule and derision and stayed there.
And unlike Sarah he’s been on tv talking about Obama’s performance too, supporting his candidate. Sarah – on the other hand – the press is playing the waldo game: Where’s Sarah? 9.28.2008 More readings: comments |
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Watching S Palin has for the first time im my life made me plain scared about the American Presidency. What will happen to us if she ever becomes President? Watching her stumbling and gropping about in the dark should make Americans really sit up.Do we really deserve this potential catastrophy of having her as commander in chief?
By brian musah · Posted on Sep 27, 12:25 AMMcCain’s strategy of campaigning while claiming he is not campaigning, is quite risky. There’s the clumsy cancellation of David Letterman, claiming he was on his way to Washington when in reality, he was getting dolled up to appear with Katy on CBS across the street. There’s the obvious risk that most people will see through the posturing, showing up in Washington after the deal is already reached, tempting Republican and Democrat alike to point out that McCain was quite irrelevant to the negotiation process. There’s the movie-star behavior of keeping everyone guessing if he’s going to show up at his own debate or not, drawing a comment from Obama that, really, the President should be able to do more than one thing at once.
So why did McCain risk all this rather than simply campaign? Because he has lots and lots to hide:
McCain needs to divert attention away from his lie last Sunday night that his campaign manager has had no dealings with Freddie Mac since 2005. Indeed, Mr. Davis is still on the their payroll this very minte.
By bill d · Posted on Sep 27, 01:21 AMMcCain must keep focus away from his article in the September issue of an Insurance magazine in which he said America should do with health care what we did with banking.
McCain doesn’t want people to get wind that his health plan includes removing tax exemptions on employer-paid health benefits, which is essentially a tax on the middle class.
McCain needs to offer cover for Palin, who appears unable to participate in a stand-alone press conference.
McCain needs to get people away from YouTube, which has become a drop zone for dozens of videos that document McCain as saying one thing, then days or weeks later, saying the exact opposite (visit YouTube and type McCain in the search box). There are too many examples to reference here).
McCain’s deep links to lobbyists of all sorts is becoming more well-known.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she backed out tomorrow due to ‘personal reasons’. Members of the GOP are starting to turn against that ticket because of her.
By Erica · Posted on Sep 27, 02:21 AMVoters are supposed to just elect Palin without her ever talking intelligently? This is unbelievable!! Now, apparently, Rudy’s law firm is trying to vie for some of the bailout money. What next!!
By Just a Voter · Posted on Sep 27, 10:49 AMI agree that the debate seems very one-sided and Biden is likely to “win” big-time. But we all learned after the RNC that underestimating Sarah Palin turns out badly. I think there’s a danger in believing she will be dumbfounded and unable to articulate anything at the debate. Who knows, maybe her “duh” moment on Couric’s interview was manufactured so as to again deflate expectations of her for the debate. If we expect “nothing” from her and she delivers even a tiny little bit, she will come out the winner. DON”T UNDERESTIMATE PALIN.
By SLB · Posted on Sep 27, 12:11 PMmissing? please, they purposely told the VP candidates to stay home from the debates. as to the VP debate, you are the only person i have seen that thinks biden will win. palin will stomp all over him and whether you like it or not, you know it’s true, considering the topic you chose to write about above!
By natnat · Posted on Sep 27, 12:50 PMBiden was on tv everywhere right after the debate. That was not true for Sarah. Giuliani was the sub last night. that was obvious.
By jerry d · Posted on Sep 27, 01:00 PMSarah is going to hand Joe Biden his balls to him in a paper sack. Biden will be emasculated.
By SteveJJ · Posted on Sep 27, 02:02 PMSarah won’t even be on the ticket on election day. McCain is falling behind in some key battleground states, some states that were leaning for McCain have changed to toss-up and some that were solid McCain have moved to leaning. In Michigan and Colorado, Obama is up double digits, he is leading McCain in McCain must win states of Virginia and North carolina. EVEN IN West Virginia the latest polls show McCain’s lead almost down to the margin of error. If she doesn’t deliver big time in the debate or they find a way of cancelling it she will leave the ticket for personal reasons (if she doesn’t before that)
Internals and some media polls are saying the national lead is double digits.
By SAM · Posted on Sep 27, 03:29 PMPalin is absolutely RIDICULOUS
And as a woman…I’ll be the 1st to say she doesn’t represent me! I’m a strong, independent thinking woman…Gov. Palin, a pretty face with no brains! If I were from Alaska, I would be totally EMBARASSED by her performance.
McCain claims to put country first…yeah right! Is that supposed to be before or after he finishes using Gov Palin to help “energize the base”?
By Janice · Posted on Sep 27, 04:15 PMReal Reason why McCain chose Palin : Sexist and condescending
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apdFC-vh6Ng
Also his poor record of voting against equal pay for women and opposing Equal Roles for Women in the Military should be the business of American women voters.
Real Reason why McCain running for President in his own words
By SaraB · Posted on Sep 28, 04:55 AMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-GfRmfb274#
well, if you saw the SNL skit last night, where basically Tina Fey played Palin using almost the same script of the CBS interview, you know how ridiculous this woman really is –
reality, in this case, can be funnier than fiction.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/27/tina-fey-as-sarah-palin-k_n_129956.html
By Another idea · Posted on Sep 28, 10:32 AMJust in case you are looking for Sarah Palin: She is that big albatross hanging around McCain’s neck…
I saw the interview she did on youtube and now I’ve seen her impersonation done by the SNL crew that you linked to on your blog.—I’d say they are basicall the same.
Well, good news is that Gallup had Obama 8 points ahead of McCain today. It will be interesting to see what desperate stunt McCain is going to pull off next and whether he will get away with it. I am glad to see that it looks like this whole suspending the campaign BS has backfired on him.
By christian · Posted on Sep 28, 03:51 PMI’m more concerned about is her public expressions on national policy. Since you mention the financial meltdown, which is the topic that I’ve been posting about, here is an example :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8__aXxXPVc&feature=related
I observe that Ms. Palin repeatedly looked down at her cheat sheet while rambling keywords such as “tax relief”, “health care reform”, “job creation”,...that had little to do with the question. It appeared that she was unprepared, and was unable to form her own thoughts on this subject even after 2 weeks into “the greatest financial crisis” that this nation has faced since the Great Depression.
This certainly raises a legitimate question on her ability to deal with crises in the future, should anything bad happened to the 72-year old McCain.
By Tuan · Posted on Sep 29, 02:18 PMI would really like to talk to you Andrew.
By Laura Hammons · Posted on Sep 30, 07:58 AMWE are a fledgling organization of Daughters of Vietnam Veterans. Please email me.
I love coming on these blogs to see what the lefties have to say. The truth of the matter is Sarah Palin is squeaky clean. So, the left can’t dig up any real scandals on her. The only way they can fight her is to put her down and attack her. The level of fear you have toward her is equal to the level of accomplishment she could have if she becomes President. That’s what you all are really afraid of. Sarah is the next great one.
By Patrick S. · Posted on Sep 30, 02:17 PM