Will Sarah Palin Step Down As McCain's Running Mate?

Sarah Palin: Will She Step Down As McCain’s Running Mate?

Posted by: Amelia McDonell-Parry | Filed in: News & Culture
1:30PM, Tuesday September 02nd 2008

Thanks to Hurricane Gustav, the Republican National Convention’s “will it or won’t it happen” debate, and Sarah Palin, the media didn’t get much of a holiday this Labor Day, did they? The latter—Sarah Palin, the Governor from Alaska chosen to be Senator John McCain’s running mate—was an especially hot topic this weekend as news broke nearly every hour it seemed with some new revelation. Having spent the weekend absorbing every ounce of coverage on Palin, I woke up this morning with the clear hunch that Palin may end up dropping out of the VP spot this week—but not wanting to rush to judgment, I decided to weigh the various pros and cons of her leaving the race. Place your bets in the comments!

Scandal #1: Bristol Palin, 17, is pregnant.
Why It Will Hurt Her: Palin is an avid supporter of abstinence education as the method of dissuading teenagers from participating in pre-marital sex. What does it say about her leadership that she can’t even get her daughter to live by one of her strictest moral codes?
Why It Won’t Hurt Her: Bristol’s pregnancy is none of the public or the media’s business. As Barack Obama said, “"I have said before and I will repeat again: People’s families are off limits. And people’s children are especially off limits. This shouldn’t be part of politics. It has no relevance to Governor Palin’s performance as a governor and/or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18, and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn’t be a topic of our politics.”

Scandal #2: Did Palin fake her pregnancy with four-month-old “son” Trig?
Why It Will Hurt Her: Bloggers went nutso this weekend with the theory that Palin faked her pregnancy to cover up the fact that Trig is actually Bristol’s child with current baby daddy Levi. The “evidence”—MySpace profiles (belonging to Levi’s sister, for example) and photo captions—has since been changed/deleted, but did enough people see it and decide the rumor was true? And does it even matter if it’s true, as scandals of this nature may be too distracting for McCain to withstand?
Why It Won’t Hurt Her: Careful conspiracy theorists! Usually rumors like this are dismissed and refuted quickly and without long-lasting repercussions. This is Washington D.C., not a V.C. Andrews novel come to life.

Scandal #3: Palin’s husband Todd was busted for a DUI 22 years ago.
Why It Will Hurt Her: Drunk driving is not easy to excuse, especially when the excuser is the potential future First Husband (in the event of McCain being otherwise, uh, detained).
Why It Won’t Hurt Her: Um, it was two decades ago. Water under the bridge. Besides, George Bush used to be an alcoholic, Cindy McCain reportedly abused prescription pills, Laura Bush’s car accident killed her friend in high school, and Bill Clinton smoked pot (but didn’t inhale!). Yawn.

Scandal #4: Palin is facing an ethics investigation for the firing of Alaska’s Commissioner of Public Safety
Why It Will Hurt Her: She’s accused of firing Walter Monegan because he refused to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten—Wooten is Palin’s sister’s ex-husband. Using your political position to exact personal revenge is a big no-no. And any sort of ethics scandal, whether it’s true or not, doesn’t make for positive media coverage during an election.
Why It Won’t Hurt Her: It’s he said/she said, and it would come as no surprise if this scandal was settled and swept under the rug within the week.

Scandal #5: McCain’s plan to get the Vagina Vote may backfire considering Palin’s stance on issues related to the vagina.
Why It Will Hurt Her: If McCain’s goal was to woo Hillary Clinton supporters, he made a bad choice in selecting a woman who does not share most of Clinton’s political beliefs, particularly ones related to women’s issues—Palin is anti-choice (in all cases, including when the woman is raped), pro-abstinence only education, supports limited access to birth control, and anti-gay marriage.
Why It Won’t Hurt Her: Palin may not win McCain female voters who won’t support anti-choice candidates, but she does help solidify the support he has in the Evangelical community—Palin’s Christian values are very much in line with the Republican base and they’re already rallying behind her.

Scandal #6: Palin wasn’t fully vetted before being chosen as McCain’s running mate.
Why It Will Hurt Her: Had McCain sent representatives to vet her before last Thursday (and the process is still continuing as we write), perhaps he would have known about many, if not all, of these “scandals” in advance of choosing her. Not being vetted calls into question McCain’s own decision making abilities.
Why It Won’t Hurt Her: While Democrats have pointed out Palin’s inexperience, Republican supporters say she’s equally, if not more, experienced than Barack Obama. That is certainly a point to be debated, but regardless, vetted or not, McCain’s choice was made and changing his mind would only make him look indecisive and weak.

UPDATE:
Scandal #7: Palin was reportedly once a supporter of the Alaska Independence Party.
Why It Will Hurt Her: The AIP platform calls for defense of “states rights” and to “seek the complete repatriation of the public lands, held by the federal government, to the state and people of Alaska.” In layman’s terms, the AIP indicates they wants to secede from the rest of the U.S., or as they’ve emphasized, “its primary goal is merely a vote on secession, something that Party advocates say Alaskans were denied during the founding of the state.” The problem is it’s kind of weird to have a Vice-President helping to lead a nation, when they once supported a group that wants to have a vote about breaking up with that same nation.
Why It Won’t Hurt Her: Palin was supposedly once a supporter of the AIP, but isn’t any longer. And the AIP doesn’t staunchly want to secede—they just want to vote on it.

[Radar Online]
[Huffington Post]
[ABC News]
[CNN]
[The Atlantic]

Kiki T
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 03:00 pm:

[report]

I hope your psychic flash was right, but I don’t think it will be...they wouldn’t make such a big decision without all those considerations being taken and at this point, it would look really bad for them to change their mind--it’s easier for them to cover it up.

With that said, I can’t stand her. Her views on pro-life is revolting and her love of guns, a bit disturbing...plus, all those scandals. I loved how conservative America jumped on Lynne Spears being a bad mom when Jaime Lynn announced being preggers, but somehow those same republican freaks praise Palin for supporting her daughter for having the baby. I’d rather have Lynne Spears as the VP, since those republicans just think nominating anyone with a vagina is going to win votes.

Amelia
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 03:03 pm:

@Kiki T Hey! Palin’s birthday is February 11, 1964—what does her horoscope say for this week?

Kiki T
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 03:05 pm:

Oh and I loved Obama’s classy answers when asked about Palin. I sooo want him to be our next President!!!!!

...and about Palin’s husband with the DUI, it won’t matter. Laura Bush, mowed over and killed someone in a hit and run accident in her teens and no one ever talks about it and our current pres. has many incidents with drinking on public record too...anyway, back to writing the horoscopes…

Kiki T
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 03:10 pm:

I have to look up her chart further (rising and moon)...but I know she is an Aquarius and Mc Cain is a Virgo...Obama is a Leo and Biden a Scorpio...as far as teams go, Leo and Scorpio is a much stronger mix--as in stronger personalities that will challenge each other and really look to shake it up…

Kiki T
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 03:17 pm:

Her moon is in Capricorn, she’s not going anywhere. You’ll have to pry her fingers off the GOP podium if you think that’s going to happen.

RM
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 04:26 pm:

How well was Palin vetted? Obviously much better than the Democrats vetted John Edwards! His affair and love-child while his cancer-stricken wife was sick, and he was running for President on the Democratic ticket, is disgusting and unforgivable!

Kooki Too
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 04:37 pm:

Wow Kiki T, can you please confirm these amazing predictions, and give us a second opinion by maybe using a Ouija Board?

Amelia
wrote on September 02 2008 @ 04:52 pm:

@RM In the common use of the word, “vetting” refers to performing a background check on someone before offering them employment. Edwards wasn’t offered the job as President. But I agree, his behavior was bad.

Ben
wrote on September 05 2008 @ 09:37 pm:

Why are Republicans afraid to mention Larry Sinclair?

The Management
wrote on September 30 2008 @ 01:44 pm:

Will Sarah Palin step down? No. She and McCain are way too stubborn. As interesting would be to see if people “Want Palin to step down"… Watching her interviews with Couric and Gibson, I was having flashbacks to 7th grade when Aaron Green tried to give a book report on Johnny Tremain but had only read the first and last chapter. That too, did not go well.

Ida Lewis
wrote on October 04 2008 @ 10:02 pm:

We need a change for the better in our country. I think some Republicans, most Democrats, most Independents and every one who is undecided is just plain fed up and tired of the same old, same old way of doing things. America needs a president who is concerned about all of the people of the United States of America. Senator Obama is that man. He and Biden will make a great team!

Suz-e-q
wrote on October 08 2008 @ 07:24 pm:

Amazing empty comments. For ANYONE to think that electing a junior senator (& lifelong malcontent) as President and his sidekick, a life-long politician, would be electing CHANGE—that is just absolute rubbish. Do you not think bho/jb will owe tons of favors if they are elected? If you think they won’t fulfill their end of the bargains they have made - and none of them are with the American people - you are uninformed to say the least, and wishing on a dry well to say the most.

Good luck with that. If we wind up with politics-as-usual again, the country will be more in debt than we already are after last week, more people will be out of work as the few jobs remaining with American companies will go overseas to escape massive tax increases AND young people can look forward to their “voluntary” (read: mandatory) 2 years of public service.

Don’t kid yourself or anyone else. This is all about money & power. Big money is on bho/jb. If elected, they have a lot of repayments to “friends”. If it makes you sleep better at night to believe that bho/jb will bring ‘change’, so be it. But, be very careful what you wish for. Empty promises are just that—empty. Change? how? more government intruding into our lives. Hope? that’s what gamblers live on.

Nothing will change, except your take-home pay. Because we already are going to pay someone else’s mortgage, someone else’s bills, our own bills, our own mortgage, our taxes—which HAVE to increase to cover the costs of paying for others stupidity with their own spending. Where is it written that someone who doesn’t pay their bills, cannot afford a mortgage, cannot buy a new car - where is it written that other Americans OWE these things to them?

If bho/jb are elected, it means that working hard to get a good education, taking care of your bills, managing your money, being a responsible law-abiding citizen is all for naught.

Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him to fish & he eats for a lifetime.

The Obama way is to give a fish, but first it MUST be taken away from those who have learned to fish.

Shirin
wrote on October 10 2008 @ 12:03 am:

Sara Palin is not a person for being a vise president neither President, she doen not have any Idea what she is talking about, she is a talking robat repeating bunch of words, I hope she never wins and I know she does not.
She look like a playing doll for some people not for politics, she is far from politics, I am glad they brought her late to campaign. She is so scared from debate that she does not want to be in debate nor any interview.Vote for Borak Obama and be save.

me
wrote on October 10 2008 @ 12:26 am:

Consider…

Educational Background:
Obama:
Columbia University with a Specialization in
International Relations
Harvard - Magna Cum Laude - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
Biden:
B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.
McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Richard Rehm
wrote on October 10 2008 @ 02:56 pm:

I wonder just how many pairs of eyeglasses Sarah Palin has. It seems like she has a different pair every day! Shelooks very pretty in each, but, why so many?

Myke
wrote on October 10 2008 @ 04:45 pm:

To all those so against Palin. Take a dam good look at yourselves before you go out make undue remarks, accusations, whatever against a human being, a woman, that has the guts, the fortitude, the dignity, to even want to run for the Vice Presidency of the United States. I read all of you complaining about what kind of a person she is, her history, etc. I don’t read, see or hear anything about how you out there in this world are creating any solutions to all the problems that she and McCain are wanting to take on. Are you man enough to do what she is doing? You got the guts, to get out there, away from your family and home state, in front of thousands of people, putting your a on the line to want to try and make a better country and hopefully get out of this crisis? Well, come on. Where’s your answers? Your solutions.
Your all apart of the problem, just like anyone else, so come on, show us the McCain/Palin voters, all your fantastic reasoning and deep thoughts on all the issues.
Either put your money where your mouth is or else shut up!!!!!!!!!!!

Amelia
wrote on October 10 2008 @ 04:46 pm:

@Myke Hey is this your way of endorsing ME for public office? Thanks!

Mary
wrote on October 22 2008 @ 02:32 pm:

well, myke, i would stand up and i have thought of ways to fix all of our problems.... but let’s see here, I am 18, so I do not make the age requirement, I am still in high school, so no college degree (like you need them, most politicians.......yeah you get my point)I am Anti-Palin. I am against everything she is about.

Sybil
wrote on October 24 2008 @ 05:12 pm:

Suz-e-q
Have you been drinking?

RTPERRY
wrote on October 25 2008 @ 11:02 pm:

This woman is a certifiable moron (if her IQ is 80, that would astound me.) Of course she won’t step down; she’s too stupid to see that she’s a moron.

Also, you forgot the fact that she’s a right-wing Evangelical Christian whack who thinks that countries that provide health care for their citizens (like Canada) are “not free countries”, and that “God will do the right thing on November 4th.”

Too bad her brain wasn’t a tenth as pregnant as her kid, and people didn’t spend more time talking up her obvious lack of gray matter as much as they worried about whether she looked pregnant or not—which makes me worry about a lack of gray matter among US citizens generally.

Peter Parkinson
wrote on October 26 2008 @ 04:35 pm:

Has Palin done anything for the community?