VP Debate winner?

Conventional wisdom around conservative airwaves concludes Sarah Palin was wonderful last night. The base appears mostly ecstatic over her performance. Many pundits said she spoke in language everyday folks appreciated and was definitely the winner based on likability. Most admit she appeared nervous (especially at first) and did not give the breadth and depth of answers Joe Biden did, but it does not matter because of her "wow" factor. "Say it ain't so, Joe" seems to be popular today along with "she held her own" and "she did well for only being five weeks into things."

Today's water cooler conversations with some male colleagues of mine were not as favorable to Palin. We all agree Palin is intelligent and has done a lot for Alaska. She threw in some good one liners last night but outside of energy policy, she didn't talk many details. Liberals (with big time help from the media) created a debate climate where fact spewing Biden appeared knowledgeable just by reciting endless statistics- many of which were untrue. Where Palin failed, in my view, was not being able to go two and three answers deep on a topic. On almost everything Palin threw Biden's way, he had an immediate answer back (albeit answers filled with half-truths), and then back again. After her first response, answers seemed shallow and responses sometimes convoluted.

Barring something unforeseen, this election comes down to economics. The media, as usual have shaped the debate into the haves and have-nots. In order to win, we have to speak clearly on the folly of liberal economic policies. What did I want Palin to say last night? Try these on for size.

*How can 95% of folks get a tax cut when, depending on the year cited, 30%-48% of all individual taxpayers owe no tax in a given year?

*When the bottom 50% of taxpayers' tax receipts are 2.9% of the total, how much more do you want the upper 50% to pay?

*When the top 10% pay 70% of the taxes, how is the Bush/McCain administrations giving tax cuts for the rich? The rich are the ones paying the taxes now.

*When Barack Obama says we need to build the economy from the bottom up, how does this work when the folks with money are the ones creating the jobs?

*If universal health care is so dandy, why do people from countries such as Canada still come to the US for the really serious surgeries they need performed?

*Mr. Biden, how do you explain the Democrats denial of problems with Fannie & Freddie back in 2005 when Republicans like John McCain were warning about big problems? Wouldn't this make Democrats more culpable then Republicans for at least not doing anything about this mess before it was too late?

*Please explain if tax cuts are so damaging to our economy why they generate increasing revenue every time they are enacted?

*Companies would stop trying to evade the US tax code, as you cite so often, if our tax rate wasn't the third highest in the industrialized world. Drop the tax rate and see a jobs boom.

Finally, how about a foreign policy diddy: *Mr. Biden, what is the first thing you would say to the leaders of Iran when you sat down to discuss their hatred for Israel and America?

If Palin would've challenged Mr. Biden on these topics, she would've wowed those who loved her big smile and also wowed those of us looking for a beating on substance. Instead the politics of class envy appear to doom us to at least four years of patriotic tax increases, big government spending, and a further shift towards European elitism.

The media's gnashing teeth

Our national news media (as represented by the most hate filled MSNBC guy shown here) and the Democratic Party are in panic mode right now. Big time panic. The "gee can we go back and put Hillary on the ticket" type panic. 37 million folks watched Sarah Palin's speech, and the latest Gallup poll yesterday has things tied 42%-42. This only five days after Obama led by around 8 points. The media's rhetoric is venomous. Their stories are shockingly petty. It's pretty fun to see angry liberals and excited Republicans again. The base has been rallied which is great even if I still can't get much satisfaction from watching and listening to McCain.

Sadly, I admit to watching CNN last night for a while. I'm told it is good to be close to your enemies, but boy does it take a toll on one's stomach. They had a focus group of eight ladies talking about Palin. The anchor went to great pains explaining women voters are leery Palin doesn't have enough experience and was chosen by McCain as a gimmick. A gimmick you say? Would this be like Joe Biden being chosen because Barack has zero foreign policy experience? Did CNN have a focus group to discuss this gimmick?? Did NBC spend 10 minutes of the nightly news exploring how it is possible Joe Biden could be Barack's VP so soon after saying he wasn't fit to be President? Shouldn't voters be informed of this?

Do you realize there has been more scrutiny of Sarah Palin in a week than Obama in the last eighteen! Our media is so concerned about Palin's time being divided between work and family. Yet, isn't this what Democratic women have been fighting for the last 30 years? How many zillion times has our liberal media opined about women being free to have careers, use day care, and be equal to men in the workplace? You know, break through the glass ceiling. What they really mean is LIBERAL women should be free to juggle career and family. Conservative women should be quiet, should stay at home in the darkness, and should stay out of politics.

That's okay because Oprah is a fair minded lady. After all, we've found out Palin has a standing invitation to come on Oprah. Well, not exactly. Oprah wants to talk with her AFTER Barack gets elected. Isn't Oprah the beacon of light for the ladies? Wouldn't you think Palin's meteoric rise would have Oprah pretty near giddy? Whoppi Goldberg should be screaming to have Mrs. Palin on The View. Oh, that's right, Palin is pro-life, pro-military, pro-USA. Now I understand their disinterest.

Do you hear the national media showing concern about Barack's association with the Rev. Wright or Barack's terrorist friend Bill Ayers? Are they concerned about his father's extreme socialistic views? Are they worried that much of his experience over the years goes back to being a community organizer? Are they fearful to elect a man who had many of his votes in the US senate cast as 'present'? Could you imagine if these were Palin's credentials? MSNBC would be shouting it 24/7. NPR and ABC would be talking about her pastor every chance they got. The NY Times would make it front page news every day.

I’m not convinced McCain is going to win, but I’m so happy the next sixty days our media will be spending more time trying to dig up dirt on Palin then talking up Obama. The more hatred they spew out, the more independents are going to sense Obama is the media’s darling with little to actually offer in the way of leadership. Isn't this fun? If you like politics and sticking it to the many hypocrites on the Left, it is great fun.

Is Palin the Answer??

My informal poll of parents in the family is a resounding “not sure.” I’m not sure either. I understand McCain needs the women’s vote, and as a 72 year-old man he isn’t going to get it. But is he really going to get single, pro-choice, suburban, Hillary voters with a pro-life woman? Palin has never had to stand by her “cheating, lying husband” like Hillary, so she shouldn’t count on the sympathy vote. Initial polls indicate 25% of Hillary’s liberal cheering section will vote McCain because of this pick. I think that number will lessen as Democrats point out Palin’s conservative views. Saving innocent babies as a philosophy is always enough to sway single, suburban ladies away from a fellow woman candidate.

Personally, I’m happy he picked a conservative instead of his wishy-washy, liberal in sheep’s clothing, Republican friends. I’m a bit concerned about the male vote, though. I think, and I hope I’m wrong, that quite a few men are going to be bothered by the notion of Palin becoming president if something happens to McCain. The thought of Palin-Putin discussions just doesn’t throw fear into the Russian government or make the American public comfortable . I worry that our Middle Eastern friends will be emboldened by a woman in power who is perceived not to have the guts to stare them down.

I’m also wondering if McCain has lost his “experience” argument. He has plenty, Obama has little. Now he is bringing Palin on and she has very little. After Obama picked the “change” candidate, Mr. Biden, I was hoping we could pound them on the issue. Now they can pound us on the experience issue, or at least neutralize our argument against them.

Time will tell, and I hope for the republic’s sake this was a good choice. I’m more acutely aware than ever of all the bitter people out there who think Obama’s socialist notions will help them at the expense of others. They seem to be increasing day by day. On a good note, Palin seems to be charismatic, so if we can find a way to get her on Letterman and Leno, we can pick up some young voters who usually vote based on who the “funny” candidate is.

Sigh...why isn’t Newt our nominee??