The Wayback Machine: Dotcommonweal’s discussion of Sarah Palin’s Nomination
August 13, 2012, 11:02 am
Posted by Cathleen Kaveny
Picking Palin: McCain’s Folly, or “crazy like a fox”?
Jean Raber must have a crystal ball. Her comments on Sarah Palin’s character back in 2008 were spot on.
Wow. Jean is spot-on=you’re right!
Yep, Jean nailed it.
I’m wondering how easy it will be to force the Ryan selection through the Palin template. They’re both risky (although Palin’s choice was surely far more so), and Sean Trende points out that risky picks usually don’t pan out.
I loved the Wayback Machine with Mr. Peabody and his boy, Sherman. I wish it was still on TV.
I don’t think Paul Ryan is anything like Palin, except that he has a nice-looking family.
Paul Ryan has a brain. Paul Ryan has legislative experience at the national level. Paul Ryan can name a book he’s read (unfortunately, it’s by Ayn Rand). Paul Ryan has a written plan that he thinks will make the country better (instead of a bunch of phone messages indicating he’s been trying to nail his cop brother-in-law who done his sister wrong).
I don’t happen to like Ryan’s plan or the direction in which he wants to take the country.
But I don’t think this pick will blow up in Romney’s face or do him any harm with his base, though many of them may wish that Ryan was at the top of the ticket.
Moreover, I applaud the pick because VPs usually go live in Blair House, aka the House of the Politically Neutered. Near as I can figure, VP Ryan would spend most of his time taking the kids to school and waiting to go to a state dinner or open a national park. He’s very photogenic, and would look nice in the official pictures.
I see my initial reaction was that Palin was a good pick, although I changed my tune in the course of the thread. Although I didn’t seem to say it, was worried very early on that Palin would help McCain win. She was (and is) canny in her own way. Although she now has “high negatives,” she is still revered in certain quarters.
I don’t think Ryan will turn out to be a “love him or hate him” type like Palin, but I do think (and fervently hope) a Romney-Ryan ticket will have a harder time than, say, Romney-Portman would have.
Jean did nail Palin early on.. Jean’s “look nice in the official pictures.’ an important VP job is to fill in at second class overseas funerals. He will not have the job anway, to do this so that’s that.
Hey! I just realized that if Paul Ryan’s name was “Dan Ryan,” it would be an anagram for “Ayn Rand”!
Coincidence? I don’t hardly think so.
Somebody should check out Paul Ryan’s ORIGINAL birth certificate. I think if you do some digging with the Census Bureau, you’ll find that that document has been diddled with, although it’s possible the CIA has already destroyed the original and buried the ashes with nuclear waste in Area 51.
I say we start a Birther-Tificate movement to ensure that people know the TRUTH!
Now, excuse me, I have to change the foil lining in my hat so the gummint doesn’t beam microwaves in my brain to make me turn into a venture capitalist and want to buy a gun.
Jean, vice presidents live in the Admiral’s House. Visiting heads of state stay in Blair House while they’re in Washington.
Angela, thanks for the correction. Truman lived at Blair House, where there was an assassination attempt. So I just assumed (and revealed something about my age, oh, dear).
FWIW, Tom Ashbrook is talking about the Romney-Ryan ticket (which several callers have referred, perhaps wistfully, as the Ryan-Romney ticket). http://onpoint.wbur.org/
The discussion is interesting, and that may herald an election that is about issues instead of family drama and distraction. I’m sure there will be a lot of blah blah about Paul Ryan Family Man of Unassailable Moral Fiber, but what Ryan brings to the table that I think will be valuable are ideas.
I don’t particularly like Ryan’s ideas, but he will force both parties to chew on them, and I think that will be nothing but good.