Palin's speech was....

[JudyJudyJudy]

JJJ - (love your screen name - we call my favorite aunt Judy Judy Judy) I guess we'll have to disagree on this. I don't think we're all that far apart - can you come for lunch tomorrow or any day? I'll make ummm... mac and cheese or something. If you come for happy hour, we'll feed you a nice dinner, dh is the cook, not me.

I'd love to come. :D It is a long drive, though. Ds and I went down to visit friends about an hour north of you last November, and it seemed like it took forever! I'm in the NW part of Georgia.

[LG Gone Wild]

You think a true Christian would do what Eric Rudolph did? I would say that he is a "Christian" who bombed and murdered and was at large for lo those many months were I to write about it.

 

Rudolph sure wasn't Greenpeace, that's for sure. But though he names the name of Jesus to justify his actions, in my book he sure isn't any kind of Christian, either.

 

I am not saying anything of the kind. Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Catholic are adjectives. Whether some one is a true Christian or Muslim or pro-lifer is something else.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Pam, I just used MapQuest, and it says that I'm right at 500 miles from Orlando. Sadly, that's a difficult day trip!

[sarahli]

Wait, no. Her pastor may have preached this. But we cannot ascribe his rhetoric (which may have been used to make a broader point and have a context we are not privy to) to Palin.

 

Just because I sit in a garage does not make me a car.

 

Otherwise, Obama believes every word that came from Jeremiah Wright's mouth. When she says she believes this, or is quoted reputably to have said this with source verification and more than one witness, I will believe she believes it. Until then, I will agree only that her pastor believes it.

 

She "preached" this on the video. Yahoo has picked up on it as well.

"Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God," she said. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan."...

Palin told graduating students of the church's School of Ministry, "What I need to do is strike a deal with you guys." As they preached the love of Jesus throughout Alaska, she said, she'd work to implement God's will from the governor's office, including creating jobs by building a pipeline to bring North Slope natural gas to North American markets.

"God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that," she said.

"I can do my job there in developing our natural resources and doing things like getting the roads paved and making sure our troopers have their cop cars and their uniforms and their guns, and making sure our public schools are funded," she added. "But really all of that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God."

 

[Amy in Orlando]

I'd love to come. :D It is a long drive, though. Ds and I went down to visit friends about an hour north of you last November, and it seemed like it took forever! I'm in the NW part of Georgia.

 

Well, if Hannah (the storm) heads your way, you can head down here. (You're ok with bunk beds, right?) And, yes, 500 miles is a long way, but you can do it!!!! :lol: Really, though, any time you're in Orlando, you're welcome here.

[LG Gone Wild]

I'm going to bed! Plus, I am not sure anything else can be added. Well, just one thing.

 

Love Palin/hate Palin. It's all okay with me. I do enjoy it when a basic nobody hands powerful fat cats their hats: Mukowski(sp?) and the other guy and the attorney general.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Well, if Hannah (the storm) heads your way, you can head down here. (You're ok with bunk beds, right?) And, yes, 500 miles is a long way, but you can do it!!!! :lol: Really, though, any time you're in Orlando, you're welcome here.

Thanks!

 

It looks like Hanna will most likely hit NC. If it goes the current projected path, we won't even get any rain from it. (We got a lot of rain and wind from Fay.) Now we'll all have to watch Ike and Josephine.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

I'm going to bed! Plus, I am not sure anything else can be added. Well, just one thing.

 

Love Palin/hate Palin. It's all okay with me. I do enjoy it when a basic nobody hands powerful fat cats their hats: Mukowski(sp?) and the other guy and the attorney general.

 

I sure don't hate her. I just reserve the right to question how she was appointed and to read and dig about her record.

 

:hat:

 

I thought this was appropriate considering the fat cats with hats comment. :D

[JudyJudyJudy]

I sure don't hate her. I just reserve the right to question how she was appointed and to read and dig about her record.

 

:hat:

 

I thought this was appropriate considering the fat cats with hats comment. :D

I'm just glad to see someone from E. TN who is willing to question a Republican. ;)

 

Signed,

Judy, your Georgia neighbor who wishes she had friends and relatives who would even question Republicans

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

You're incorrect about this. Keep watching the video. After the introduction by the man in the beginning, she gives a speech in which she makes such comments and basically keeps telling people to pray for her politics to be done.

 

The pipeline, I see what you're saying. Though I mostly understood her to say that God's will would be done for cooperation between parties she felt needed to cooperate to improve the job market in the state. (ETA: I will listen again to clarify.)

 

But for Iraq, so far she's said "Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right also for this country; [pray] that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God, that's what we have to make sure we are praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is *God's* plan. So bless them with your prayers, your prayers of protection over our troops."

 

And I don't have a problem with ANY Christian (or anybody else, really) praying that the task actually be one that is from God with the implication to me, knowing the cadence and rhetoric of the evangelical faith that they be clearly shown if it is NOT from God. Nor do I have a problem with praying for the military folks who are striving to do what is right for this country -- golly, I hope they strive every day for this, whether the administration royally messes up or not .

 

As to praying that there is a plan? Yeah, I would also pray that there is a plan, if I were not sure there was a plan. In fact, this was a bit on the bold side for me -- it sounds to me like she wonders if there's a plan and is praying and asking them to pray that there PLEASE be a plan to all this that none of us is aware of. Or at least a higher plan that can come of this in spite of ourselves.

 

Ok, off to watch video number 2. :auto: I'm gonna be sorry in the morning.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Pam, I'm glad you were able to watch the video. To be honest with you, it made me a bit uncomfortable.

 

As for our earlier discussion, just read some of rowan-tree's posts and links (for example, the one about Putin) to perhaps understand what I was saying earlier.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Pam, I'm glad you were able to watch the video. To be honest with you, it made me a bit uncomfortable.

 

As for our earlier discussion, just read some of rowan-tree's posts and links (for example, the one about Putin) to perhaps understand what I was saying earlier.

 

This cadences and phraseology of this sort of church-y talk is familiar to me (minus the AK as a "state of refuge" for the future times stuff -- what is that??), so I think I sorta maybe understand the Iraq part of it. Maybe. But maybe no. 80% sure I understand it and pretty sure I'm not concerned about that prayer about Iraq thing.

 

But she shouldn't be praying out of one side of her mouth and lying out of the other side of it at the RNC. Or if she changed her mind, she should tell that she once supported the project but reconsidered it for the good of the state -- take the money, but use it for infrastructure. Or turn it down altogether if she's so mightily opposed to earmarks. Good reason to change your mind, probably, but don't insult my intelligence that you didn't support it.

 

Palin: It's about service to people

8/9/2006

Palin said Alaska's congressional delegation worked hard to obtain funding for the bridge as part of a package deal and that she "would not stand in the way of the progress toward that bridge."

 

Ketchikan Daily News 9/2006

 

This was quoted during her run for governer. Which, I guess, says something about her campaign promises? But to be fair, not every campaign promise comes with full knowledge of the situation that you're dealing with. Some knowledge comes when you look with different eyes.

 

Just... you just don't want this to have been some kind of bait-and-switch to get elected, you know? And unless she tells the whole truth of what she thought about the project and fully discloses that she TOOK the dang earmark money instead of saying "no thank you," I'm just a tad... unconvinced.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Just... you just don't want this to have been some kind of bait-and-switch to get elected, you know? And unless she tells the whole truth of what she thought about the project and fully discloses that she TOOK the dang earmark money instead of saying "no thank you," I'm just a tad... unconvinced.

Yeah, her earmark requests were more per person than any other state:

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008154532_webpalin02m.html

[Quiver0f10]

I thought her speech was amazing!

[Christy B]

Hmmmm, let me not get started. Suffice it to say that Saddam H. and bin L. never ever would have had any contact (and this anyone with some peripheral cultural/religious knowledge of Arabs and Muslims would know). So the whole base (for the war) is way off which leads back to the threat of "Islamic terrorists" (and no, those bastards from 9/11 were not "God-fearing" Muslims).

 

To me, this is all racism and that got exuberated when Giuliani mentioned small-town mayor and religion.....Let's all be Christian together and fight those Islamic terrorists. Now, do you think all the work Muslims like me have done over the last 7 years is going to mean a thing tomorrow? All those bridges we have crossed and all those extra smiles we have had to give (even on crappy days) just to always appear oh, so peaceful and what not because suddenly we have to reverse the image of us that is always being cast in the limelight??

 

I can promise you that my air-space will be easier to breathe in and out if we do not get a republican president. Get those brave men and women home and let's all start healing (while of course now providing a firm structure to the ruined country which is in shackles and has been for a while).

 

P.S. Do not put in my mouth that I ever condoned of someone like Saddam who was a living monster of which kind we have several, still sitting on self-imposed thrones, but not being an immediate threat or annoyance to the US.

 

P.P.S. Sorry, if this got too political, but honestly someone has to present an opposing view.

 

Nadia, I appreciate your insight and your unique perspective.

[Saille]

Amen! And, on top of it all, I was disgusted by her blatant use of her son to pander to those of us who have children with special needs (my 7 y.o. has DS), and really, was parading out the 17 year old bf necessary? UGH. I know they are not happy about an unwed pregnant daughter, but a married 17 year old, whose bf is unwilling (see his own myspace page before it was pulled down) is a larger tragedy.

 

Seriously? Oh, that poor girl.

[PariSarah]

My WHOLE point is that those people were NOT representatives of my religion or of that of 1 billion other people. I am sorry if you think I should feel that way, but that's exactly my point.

 

People who are God-fearing do not make one of the biggest sins ever and kill other humans plus commit suicide. Sorry, but that is not Islam and those people were not living Islamic lives before the event even(the leaders Attar et al).

 

. . . I think that's what is generally meant by the terms "radical Islam" or "Muslim extremists." It's an attempt to distinguish the bad sort of Muslims (the non-God-fearing ones, to use your description) from your sort, the kind that enliven homeschool support boards and the like. ;) "We don't hate Muslims," the implicit argument goes, "just the ones that are terrorists."

 

Are there phrases or names that you think do the job better than "radical Islam" or "Muslim extremists?" I don't tend to talk about the issue much, but when I do, I'd want to make sure I was using appropriate language.

 

ETA: I didn't watch the speeches, so you may be referring to other language. But the epithets you mentioned, I've seen in less contentious contexts--that's all I was trying to say.

[Saille]

Well, calling someone small-minded because you don't like thier brand of politics, that seems...well...catty.

 

Can't speak for Mom to Aly, but for me, not liking Palin's politics is just the endpoint. What I dislike more is how they are derived. Much of what Palin said seemed to me to be built upon a foundation of defensiveness and mistrust, not unlike McCain. And I'll be honest, a few years back I liked McCain a lot more than I do right now. This smirking pettiness is not appropriate behavior for the leader of the free world.

 

I'm somewhat off-put by anyone who thinks it's cute to compare herself to a pit bull. Pit bulls don't think. They act on instinct, and once they've latched on, nothing can get them to let go....even if they turn out to be wrong. That's exactly what I *don't* want in a Vice-President. I've had enough John Wayne rhetoric from the Reps. to last me the rest of my life, and I can never apologize adequately to those poor mamas and children who were already suffering under Saddam, and are so much worse off now. So, I guess I find her description apt, but for me it serves as a warning, not an endorsement.

 

I think this is one of those jokes that is clever, but not funny. McCain tells a lot of those, too, and I'm disturbed when people laugh.

[LisaNY]

LOL, Kelli, have you listened to Joe Biden? It's hard to imagine a more attack dog like persona in modern politics. It does sound different coming from a woman (who ever refers to a man as "catty"?), but it's no different from what candidates normally do at their conventions. I think Palin pulled off her jabs with a hint of humor, that took the edge off just enough.

 

Erica

 

I saw it that way as well.

[Karenciavo]

New make up, redone hair, expensive suit (no you don't see those in Alaska) and a speech writer. I thought she was a wee bit nasty sounding. Her take on Alaska doesn't mesh with my Alaskan friends. Just another side. :)

 

Maybe so, but she has an 80% approval rating in Alaska.

 

Karen

[Kelli in TN]

Amen! And, on top of it all, I was disgusted by her blatant use of her son to pander to those of us who have children with special needs (my 7 y.o. has DS), and really, was parading out the 17 year old bf necessary? UGH. I know they are not happy about an unwed pregnant daughter, but a married 17 year old, whose bf is unwilling (see his own myspace page before it was pulled down) is a larger tragedy.

 

Oh, I disagree. That was the one part of her speech that pulled my heartstrings. I WANT to think that there are people in government, somewhere, that know exactly how scary the future looks to the parents of a special needs kid.

 

And what else are they going to do with Levi? Can't hide him. Can't hide Bristol. Might as well say "Here we are, struggles and all." I think it was the right move. I think it sent a message of acceptance to the unique challenges their family faces.

[Trivium Academy]

I agree, whole-heartedly!!!

[Saille]

Wait, no. Her pastor may have preached this. But we cannot ascribe his rhetoric (which may have been used to make a broader point and have a context we are not privy to) to Palin.

 

Just because I sit in a garage does not make me a car.

 

Otherwise, Obama believes every word that came from Jeremiah Wright's mouth. When she says she believes this, or is quoted reputably to have said this with source verification and more than one witness, I will believe she believes it. Until then, I will agree only that her pastor believes it.

 

Here's a UPI article that says she actually said it, in a speech she made.

 

Never mind. I see the links now.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

I did not enjoy watching her. I thought there was very little substance to her speech except for the fact that I need to be afraid and she and John McCain are going to protect me- somehow- I guess with all this "tough talk".

 

And I don't get why the Republicans keep talk about winning the war. We already won, remember? Bush was on the aircraft carrier with the "Mission Accomplished" banner.

 

I didn't even think she was that good of a public speaker. For someone who has been hunkered down with top aides and doing nothing but working on this speech, I expected it to be better. I do think she had some funny lines about Obama. I don't think she made good transitions in the speech, though.

 

I wanted to throw up when the whole convention floor was shouting "Drill Baby, Drill!" That seems to be their answer to the environmental crisis.

 

I did think she was very disrespectful of Muslims and for that reason alone, I could never vote her into office. She offended me as a Christian, because it seemed as though self-righteousness and hate were much more prevalent than love and understanding in her speech. She never ONCE mentioned the poor. I found that telling also.

[cricket1178]

Honest question here: Would you be okay with others referring to the people who bomb abortion clinics and gay night clubs as "Christian terrorists"? After all, they describe themselves as devout Christians.

 

Really not trying to stir the pot, but the difference I see is that the main leaders of these "Islamic terrorists" groups are saying that they are doing these things in the name of Allah. As far as I can tell when an abortion clinic is bombed or some other horrendous activity, no Christian leaders condone it. As a matter of fact many, many, Christian leaders come out with public statements stating they do not agree with those activities.

 

Just my observation.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

As far as I can tell when an abortion clinic is bombed or some other horrendous activity, no Christian leaders condone it.

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3944/is_200104/ai_n8951397

[hsmamainva]

The one thing that I have found so telling, just by all the camera shots of the RNC delegates this week, is how white they all are!!!

 

America is changing. America is a diverse nation, made up of people from all walks of life and all nationalities.

 

If you compare the crowds at both conventions, it's blatantly clear that the Republican party needs to change if they're going to keep up with a changing America.

 

The party of old white men isn't going to cut it.

 

The latest projections (I believe) estimate that the white majority will be a minority by 2030.

 

(Jeffrey Toobin, on CNN, is the only one that I've heard comment on this at all, and that was on Tuesday night)

[Tracey in TX]

The one thing that I have found so telling, just by all the camera shots of the RNC delegates this week, is how white they all are!!!

 

America is changing. America is a diverse nation, made up of people from all walks of life and all nationalities.

 

If you compare the crowds at both conventions, it's blatantly clear that the Republican party needs to change if they're going to keep up with a changing America.

 

The party of old white men isn't going to cut it.

 

The latest projections (I believe) estimate that the white majority will be a minority by 2030.

 

(Jeffrey Toobin, on CNN, is the only one that I've heard comment on this at all, and that was on Tuesday night)

I noticed that, too. It wasn't a diverse population at the Convention. Why? Are we not a diverse political party?

btw, I heard whites will be the minority in 2020. Back in the late '80s it was by 2000. (Guess families like me are boosting the population rate ever so slightly. LOL)

I thought Sarah Palin ROCKED! Her speech was energetic, gave a clear picture of what she wanted to accomplish--or what they won't do that Dems want--and was the typical VP bulldog. She is real, understands the world from a woman's perspective, and will be able to help special needs families. That's a population which has never had someone on the inside helping.

 

It'll be exciting to watch things progress over the next 2 months.

[cricket1178]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3944/is_200104/ai_n8951397

 

I was talking about mainstream ministers. This article is disturbing, but I think it proves another posters point that the titles given to these extremist activities are to separate them from the mainstream religious groups. I, like parasarah, would like to know what would be a more appropriate term to address the activities of terrorist groups such as the one that bombed the towers. That is one of the reasons I like the diversity of this board. It teaches us!;)

[Erica in PA]

I'm sorry, but this bothers me. First, I did see minorities present. Not as many as at the DNC, but there were minorities there, cheering just as loudly for the speakers as the others. There were also many, many, many women there! As a 34 year old woman, I find it offensive that you call my party, that I identify so strongly with, a "party of old white men." That's insulting. There's also an implication that the demographics are by design in some way-- which is totally false. Everyone is welcome.

 

Why do you think that Republicans *should* specifically lure more minorities? How do you suggest that be done? The things that the Republican party stands for can appeal to any individual, regardless of race. I think they need to continue getting their message out to everyone, not single out certain demographic groups and try to woo them.

 

Erica

[Soph the vet]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3944/is_200104/ai_n8951397

In the very first line of this article the members of this group are referred to as "the most extreme faction of the anti-abortion movement", obviously not mainstream Christians or even conservative Christians (as am I). So if you are trying to say this article is support for Christian leaders supporting murdering abortionists, I would say these may be leaders of something but they are most certainly not Christians.

Radical Christians do not take life away from others...if they do, they are not Christians. Radical Christians die for their faith and die to see others get the Gospel...think William Tyndale, John Wycliffe....go through Foxe's book of Martyrs and read the thousands of names over the last 2000 years who have died following Christ...those are radical Christians. They were consumed with loving God and loving their neighbor...even if it meant their neighbor would kill them. There are thousands, even millions of Christians living radically today in China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Orissa India, Indonesia, North Korea, etc....that will either be imprisoned, tortured, or killed for their faith. They have watched their pastors be imprisoned or killed or their churches burned....and yet they still want to follow Christ. They do NOT bomb abortion facilities, they do NOT preach hate of homosexuals...those who do are NOT Christians, even if they call themselves that. Don't you see that God looks at the heart and not a name?

Radical Islamofascists (not mainstream Muslims, everyone should know that) kill in the name of Allah.

Radical Christians die for the name of Christ to be proclaimed that others may come to know Him and live eternally.

I am just trying to point out a basic difference between radicals.

 

And I thought Palin did a great job and I look forward to the fresh breath of air she will bring to Washington.

[hsmamainva]

I noticed that, too. It wasn't a diverse population at the Convention. Why? Are we not a diverse political party?

 

That's an interesting question!! I mean, most Latin Americans for example, at least the ones that I've met, are very pro-family, very pro-life, and Christian. You would think that the Republican platform would appeal to them --- but...then there's the immigration issue, and most Republicans are anti-immigration. That one issue alone probably drives them toward the Democratic party in droves.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

 

Why do you think that Republicans *should* specifically lure more minorities? How do you suggest that be done?

 

Be like Jack Kemp. Be like Mike Huckabee. They know exactly how to do it. Just reach out. It's really that simple.

 

The things that the Republican party stands for can appeal to any individual, regardless of race.

 

People aren't so different in this world, I agree. But perception is reality. Someone needs to reach out to make the effort to change that perception. Kemp and Huckabee know how to do it.

 

I think they need to continue getting their message out to everyone, not single out certain demographic groups and try to woo them.

 

Hmm. I'll have to think about that one. I know concerted efforts go out on occasion for the Latino vote, for example, from both sides.

[Erica in PA]

You would think that the Republican platform would appeal to them --- but...then there's the immigration issue, and most Republicans are anti-immigration. That one issue alone probably drives them toward the Democratic party in droves.

 

Actually, Republicans are very much for immigration. They are anti- *illegal*-immigration, which is a very different thing.

 

Erica

[Erica in PA]

Be like Jack Kemp. Be like Mike Huckabee. They know exactly how to do it. Just reach out. It's really that simple.

 

 

 

People aren't so different in this world, I agree. But perception is reality. Someone needs to reach out to make the effort to change that perception. Kemp and Huckabee know how to do it.

 

 

Do you think that people like those guys (much as I do love me some Huckabee :001_smile:), right-on as I think they are, could really attract large numbers of minorities? My personal opinion is that being a Democrat is so ingrained culturally for minorities, as well as lower-income groups, that I can't see that changing much as a whole, no matter what Republicans say. My 85 yo grandmother, for example, said to me the other day, "Well, you know I'm a Democrat, because the Republicans are for the rich, and the Democrats care about people like us, and they're for health care." I didn't argue with her, of course, (she doesn't actually vote anyway :tongue_smilie:), but that is her perspective, and actually my entire family's perspective. I don't think anything will change their minds.

 

Erica

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

these may be leaders of something but they are most certainly not Christians.

 

They call themselves Christians. I agree that they do not subscribe to the same flavor of Christianity that I do, or that most people I know do, but according to my faith, it is wrong for me to try to decide who is a Christian and who isn't. So I just go with what they call themselves.

 

Mainstream Muslim leaders do not condone flying planes into buildings either, but no one has a problem calling them Muslim.

[LisaNY]

Oh, I disagree. That was the one part of her speech that pulled my heartstrings. I WANT to think that there are people in government, somewhere, that know exactly how scary the future looks to the parents of a special needs kid.

 

And what else are they going to do with Levi? Can't hide him. Can't hide Bristol. Might as well say "Here we are, struggles and all." I think it was the right move. I think it sent a message of acceptance to the unique challenges their family faces.

 

*Exactly*! :001_smile:

[Angela in TN]

I did not enjoy watching her. I thought there was very little substance to her speech except for the fact that I need to be afraid and she and John McCain are going to protect me- somehow- I guess with all this "tough talk".

 

 

I have to say what substance does Obama have in his speeches? It's all "hope" and "change" without a lot of real substance, I've watched his speeches and it's never very deep.:confused: This was an intro to the Republican party so I didn't really expect major policy talk. Although I think if he (Obama) dosen't win the election he'll have a real future in motivational speaking, move over Tony Robbins.;)

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Do you think that people like those guys (much as I do love me some Huckabee :001_smile:), right-on as I think they are, could really attract large numbers of minorities? My personal opinion is that being a Democrat is so ingrained culturally for minorities, as well as lower-income groups, that I can't see that changing much as a whole, no matter what Republicans say. My 85 yo grandmother, for example, said to me the other day, "Well, you know I'm a Democrat, because the Republicans are for the rich, and the Democrats care about people like us, and they're for health care." I didn't argue with her, of course, (she doesn't actually vote anyway :tongue_smilie:), but that is her perspective, and actually my entire family's perspective. I don't think anything will change their minds.

 

Erica

 

Large numbers? I don't know. But it has been one of Kemp's missions in life, it seems, to reach across racial lines with his own brand of hope. Huckabee says he got 48% of the minority vote in his gubernatorial election, though some say this is not substantiated. No matter how much he got, the fact is, he reached out in a systematic way. I suspect this was as likely because of his particular Christian beliefs as anything else.

 

And full disclosure to add to your love of Huckabee, if he were to ever win the White House, I would be all :willy_nilly:.

 

:001_smile:

[Tracy in Ky]

[quote=Nakia;506022 It was great!!!

 

I am even more excited!!

 

McCain/Palin '08 :party:

 

Me too!!!

[Danestress]

Well, calling someone small-minded because you don't like thier brand of politics, that seems...well...catty.

 

Well, I agree with some of Palin's politics (not all, some) and thought she gave a very impressive performance. She was pretty awesome.

 

But, I agree that she had some catty moments that would have been better deleted. It was a great speech, but would have been much greater if she had attacked Obama just with the facts (some of which she did a great job of highlighting) without the sort of silly jabs. It didn't make her look dignified.

 

Or I should say, she seemed so dignified and poised that those petty comments were unnecessary and detracted from her overall performance. I'm surprised, if her "handlers" knew how good her delivery would be and how well received she would be, that they allowed her to add in those few really petty comments that weren't really necessary to making her case. And she has a good case, you know?

[Cindy in C-ville]

 

But, I just have to say, because it was so darn cute and dh and I couldn't stop laughing at the innocence of it, we loved watching her youngest daughter (Piper?) licking her palm to smooth down her baby brother's hair! So, so precious! LOL!! Did anyone else see that? We were watching the CBS network.

 

 

 

Oh. My. Goodness. We LOVED that. Of course, it doesn't hurt that our youngest daughter is "Piper" too!

[Erica in PA]

And full disclosure to add to your love of Huckabee, if he were to ever win the White House, I would be all :willy_nilly:.

 

:001_smile:

 

Oh, too bad!! May I ask what makes you feel that way about him? What do you think would be bad about his presidency?

 

 

Erica

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

I have to say what substance does Obama have in his speeches? It's all "hope" and "change" without a lot of real substance, I've watched his speeches and it's never very deep.:confused: This was an intro to the Republican party so I didn't really expect major policy talk. Although I think if he dosen't win the election he'll have a real future in motivational speaking, move over Tony Robbins.;)

 

Barack Obama defined exactly what he means by America's Promise, in other words what he wants to change and what he hopes for, in his DNC speech last week. In case you missed that part:

 

What is that promise? It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

 

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced.

America, now is not the time for small plans.

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.

And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.

Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.

And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.

Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility - that's the essence of America's promise.

 

 

You can find out more about the details on his website as well.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Oh, too bad!! May I ask what makes you feel that way about him? What do you think would be bad about his presidency?

 

I'd better not. :001_smile: I'm not rational when it comes to Huckabee -- well, some of it's rational (but probably only in my own head) and some of it is visceral. But I would love to sit and talk with him and have dinner and then hang out around the piano and sing hymns with a group of friends, or something. I don't HATE him. I'd just cry a lot if he were elected President, but I won't go all specific here because it's not what fits into my standards of speech that's with grace and all salty and all.

 

Plus I stayed up all night attempting to reset my body clock in preparation for 12 hour night shifts starting this weekend, so I'm afraid my remarks might:sleep: also be careless.

 

You'll let me pass this time, right?

[astrid]

She is a skilled public speaker....but I found her to be full of IT.

 

Me too. And the press today seems to be reporting some of IT.

astrid

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I thought it was good. I enjoyed listening to her.

 

I'm surprised to see her comments taken as catty. Politicians take on their opponents all the time. It's almost the role of the VP candidate to really get tought on the opponent's stance and shoot holes in it. I thought she did a great job. It's like when I'm in a meeting here in our ministry and I have an opinion or something to say that is a strong opinion. I was surprised that our director described me as catty!:001_huh: I felt that it was unfair because when the men on our staff express a strong opinion it is seen as passionate about something or as if they have special insight into a situation or person. But, for a woman, it's catty?

 

This is such a fine line that she will have to walk. It was the same with Hillary Clinton in the primaries. If they come across too strong, it's off-putting. If they come across as softer, they're not up to handling the pressures of the office. It's still a good-ole-boys game apparently! It's tough for a woman to overcome the stereotypes that have been there for centuries. It's good to see 2 strong women in this election who, I feel, have so far conducted themselves well.

[Nestof3]

I think the point is, we are living in a country where the majority of people are Christian

 

I have to disagree here. I would say the majority of people are apathetic. I can tell by our culture that the majority is NOT trying to follow in Christ's footsteps.

[Mama Lynx]

Giuliani's speech left me wondering why the party is intent on chasing away the moderate vote.

 

I liked Governor Palin. Not particularly the content of her speech, though I didn't have an excessive number of strong objections, but I really like her personality.

 

She had a couple of moments that made me cringe. I wish ... I wish that at a convention, where everyone there is of your party and you are assured of their vote, I wish they could keep it focused on the candidates of the party. I'm not saying this well, because of the Benadryl. I know it's fun to make zings against the other party when you're in an assured audience ... but I wish both parties would refrain from doing so. At the convention, you have no need to persuade by trashing the other party.

 

So while I did like her, and her speech, and Giuliani's, and yes, some of the zingers I thought were funny and even excellent points, many of them just made me cringe, and wish they wouldn't. So I both enjoyed the speeches, and remembered why I'm not registered with either major party :D

[Meljoy]

I think she was AWESOME! :lol: