Is This Executive Experience?

**Before becoming Governor of Alaska (population 600,000), Sarah Palin was Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (Population 6,700)**

IS THIS THE EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE THAT REPUBLICANS ARE TOUTING?

Politics as Usual: The Art of the 'Bad News' Dump

With nearly all media attention directed at the ongoing situation on the Gulf, the McCain camp has decided today would be an opportune time to drop a few tidbits on us:

Tidbit #1:

"Sources close to Sarah Palin tell The Brody File that the husband of the GOP Vice-presidential choice, Todd Palin, was arrested and charged with Driving under the Influence of alcohol back in 1986. He was 22 years old at the time. He was driving in a truck with some friends in the small southwestern Alaska town of Dillingham when he was pulled over for the DUI. As is customary, he was taken to jail briefly. Sarah and Todd Palin were high school sweethearts so they were dating at the time. The Brody File can also report that there was no accident or injuries."

"Sources close to Sarah Palin also tell The Brody File that Todd Palin has been 'forthcoming about the situation and has indicated that it was a lesson learned from when he was younger.'"

Tidbit #2: Governor Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter, Bristol Palin, IS 5 MONTHS PREGNANT

Reuters: "The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.
Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said. 'We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us,' the Palins' statement said. 'Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support,' the Palins said."

McCain Campaign Statement:

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support."
"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi's privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates."

Did the McCain Campaign know before today?

Why did Palin not refer to 'this blessing' in her introduction on Friday?

How will the Evangelical community react?

Begs the question: Was Sarah Palin properly vetted?

If the McCain campaign did know about Bristol Palin's pregnancy, how will the Republican base react to his brushing it aside as a 'non-issue'?

Why choose this moment to release the news?

Is the McCain campaign taking advantage of the unfortunate circumstances in the Gulf?

**STAY TUNED FOR MORE MEDIA REACTION**

 

TWITTERING

Some Brief Thoughts:

• Is Hurrcaine Gustav keeping President Bush away from the RNC a godsend for the McCain camp?
• How will the media play this week? Lives at risk usually trump politics. Look to see how the hurricane coverage competes with the RNC.
• No Bounce? No Problem. People keep pointing to polls where McCain/Palin edge Obama/Biden nationally. At this stage these polls mean nothing. The fact that McCain selected Palin, and that he is behind in almost every battleground, with the exception of Florida, and that traditionally strong GOP States such as Indiana and Montana are being contested suggest this election might break big for Obama in late September.
• Opposition Research: The trickle is about to turn into a flood. Look for the media to unearth anything and everything they have on Governor Palin once the 'honeymoon phase' ends.

SEPTEMBER SURPRISE?

Where's Colin? Colin Powell has gone into hiding. Will he endorse Obama after the RNC?

**STAY TUNED FOR MORE THROUGHOUT THE DAY**

Governor Sarah Palin: McCain's Trap Door?

Reckless! Irresponsible. Crazy...Inexperienced:

These are just a few of the adjectives being used to describe Republican nominee John McCain's choice for his Vice Presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Let me go out on a limb and add another one: shrewd.

Yes, shrewd. This is how the McCain camp has gamed this selection out:

The Announcement

To the complete and utter surprise of the entire Washington and media establishment, Senator John McCain selects little-known Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin to be his running mate. With just under two years of experience under her belt, the selection rocks the country and re-establishes equilibrium in the coverage of both campaigns.

The Reaction

Hair trigger response from the Obama campaign. Slams McCain for choosing an inexperienced Governor with zero foreign policy experience.

Enter the Trap Door

The McCain camp quickly responds that Senator Obama and Governor Palin (Governor is an impressive title, even if it is in Alaska) have in fact both served in public roles for roughly the same number of years, and hence, have the same level of experience.

The Gamble

The McCain camp was hoping to get exactly the reaction it did. They are betting that in Obama making the experience case against Governor Palin, he is in fact making the case against his very own candidacy. In making the case for his candidacy, they feel that he in some way validates her existence on the ticket. A classic trap door.

The Remedy

Turn her into a pedestrian. Ignore her and solely focus on McCain.

 

On The Road: Where Are They Saturday?

11 AM: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary and Bill Clinton will be attending a Cleveland, Ohio memorial service for Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the Congresswoman and staunch Clinton supporter who passed tragically last week from a brain aneurysm.

5 PM: John McCain and Sarah Palin hold a "Road to the Convention" event in Washington, Pennsylvania.

THINGS TO WATCH 

Chemistry: How will the two interact onstage together. During Palin's introductory speech John McCain seemed a tad bit uncomfortable standing next to her. What kind of visual image will we get?

The Stump: How is she on the stump? Will she be able to connect with voters?

**ACCESSABILITY**

Is she ready for what the National Press Corps is about to throw her way? To what lengths will the McCain camp go to shield her from the press? This is a key point to watch.

 

The Palin Effect: What it Says and What it Means About Election 2008

What it says about the McCain Camps Thinking: Frankly, that he is too old and too experienced. Instead of reinforcing a strength with Ridge or shoring up a weakness with Romney, the McCain camp has all but ceded to the idea that this election is indeed about change. They have come to the calculation that with a depressed Republican base the only way for McCain to get to 270 electoral votes is by stirring the pot. The hype about Palin being the face of the future of American Conservatism is just that, hype and jibe: Both Romney and Pawlenty would have appeased the conservative wing of the Republican party, but neither would create the national stir of putting a women on the ticket, especially after 2 years during which the mainstream media made it a persistent theme.

DOES PALIN'S PICK UNDERCUT THE MCCAIN LINE THAT BARACK OBAMA IS NOT READY TO BE PRESIDENT???

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations: The Vice-Presidential Debate

CONTRARY to the conventional wisdom that putting Palin in a room with Biden is the equivalent of political homicide, Biden will walk onto that stage with everything to lose and nothing to gain, whereas Palin has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Her bar will be set low and the slightest slip up on Biden's part could cost him the debate.

Is She Ready to Lead?

This is the theme that Democrats will hammer home over the next 65 days. In choosing Palin, the media starved McCain camp has succeeded in shifting (albeit not balancing) the attention from the Obama campaign. The question now is at what cost? Will this be good attention? Or bad attention? If the media chooses to focus more on her inexperience and on the question of whether she is ready to lead, this pick will blow up in McCain's face.

What Now?

Stay Tuned...

UPDATE: Republican and Democratic Reaction to Palin's Selection

Evangelical figure, Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission:

Governor Palin is a vice-presidential selection which shows that John McCain at the age of 72 today is still able to think outside the box. Governor Palin will delight the Republican base. She is pro-life. She is an avid hunter and member of The National Rifle Association and is both a conservationist and someone who avidly believes in exploiting our fossil fuel resources as well as developing other forms of energy. A mother of five and a background as a television commentator makes her appear to be a very solid candidate for appealing to a lot of women who feel that Senator Clinton was treated disrespectfully by the Obama camp. It appears that Senator Obama played it safe in picking Senator Biden and Senator McCain made the bold and unconventional choice in picking Governor Palin.

Obama Campaign Response:

“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain’s commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush’s failed economic policies — that’s not the change we need, it’s just more of the same,” said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman.

Mark Levin @ the National Review:

“Count me in with both feet… Palin would knock the legs out from under Obama’s monopoly hold on ‘change.’”

Stay Tuned for Review of Media Reaction to the Palin Selection...

IT'S OFFICIAL: MCCAIN/PALIN 2008

**BOMBSHELL**

NBC NEWS, THEPAGE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE AND POLITICO ALL CONFIRM THAT FORTY-FOUR YEAR OLD ALASKA GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN WILL BE JOHN MCCAIN'S VICE PRESENTIAL SELECTION.

WHO IS SHE?

IS SHE READY TO BE PRESIDENT?

IS HE PLAYING POLITICS?

HOW WILL ROMNEY AND PAWLENTY FEEL ABOUT BEING USED AS PAWNS IN THE PROCESS?

HOW WILL THE BASE REACT?

DOES THIS ROLL BACK ALL THE PROGRESS MADE ON THE HILLARY FRONT THIS WEEK?

MCCAIN CAMP DID NOT SEE THE PATH TO 270 WITH A CONVENTIONAL PICK...IS PALIN A GAMECHANGER?

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION...

 

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO...

INTERNET ERUPTS AFTER CHICAGO TRIBUNES JILL ZUCKMAN REPORTS ALASKA GOVERNOR PALIN TO BE MCCAIN VP PICK. REPORTS ALSO PEG JOE LIEBERMAN AS THE ONLY ONE OF THE MAJOR KNOWN VP CANDIDATES IN OHIO TODAY. PREVIOUS REPORTS HAD 'A WOMEN WITH TWO KIDS' STEPPING OFF A LATE NIGHT CHARTER FLIGHT FROM ANCHORAGE TO MIDDLETOWN, OHIO (RIGHT OUTSIDE DAYTON)...

If it is Palin: does the selection undercut John McCain's assertions that Barack Obama is not ready to be President? Does she pass the 'Ready to be President' threshhold?

Palin has been Governor of Alaska for just one year...

STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS...

Is the McCain Camp Having Fun With the Media?

**ALL BETS ARE OFF**

There seems to be a lot of media misinformation and 'miscommunication' leading up to the VEEP selection.

Interesting Tidbit:

• Governor Sara Palin's son will be deployed to Iraq in September...

SAY IT ISN'T JOE?

ABC NEWS REPORTS THAT SARAH PALIN IS IN ALASKA, NOT DAYTON OHIO WHERE THE VEEP PICK IS SET TO BE ANNOUNCED. DOWN TO TWO:

JOE LIEBERMAN AND LINDSAY GRAHAM CONSERVATIVE SENATOR FROM SOUTH CAROLINA

It's known that McCain values comfort above all and now appears set to pick one of his two closest colleagues in the U.S. Senate.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE

BREAKING: NBC CONFIRMS ROMNEY AND PAWLENTY NOT MCCAIN VEEP

Who's left?

Darkhorse: Alaska Governor Sara Palin? WOMEN WOMEN WOMEN

Joe Lieberman - McCain says screw the Republican base.

Tom Ridge - Pennsylvania...

STAY TUNED: SURE BE A HECK OF A DAY!

McCain VEEPSTAKES HEATING UP

All indications are pointing to a Friday morning announcement for John McCain's running mate. Chatter throughout the day has been that the pick will be leaked this afternoon in order to deflect attention from Obama's acceptance speech at the DNC (slated for 10 PM Eastern). Here's an updated rundown of the candidates (in order of odds):

• Romney? Sure he knows economics and he's been an executive, but, how far can a ticket worth upwards of half-a-billion dollars combined carry a message that sets out to paint their opponent as elitist? My guess is not very far.
• Pawlenty? Young, fresh, Minnesota (although his ability to carry it remains a question), Conservative through and through, and big with the Evangelical community. Cons? Does anyone really think that Tim Pawlenty is qualified to be the guy who's a heartbeat a away from having a heartbeat? Let's face it, McCain doesn't have many heartbeats left, and I'm not too comfortable with a guy that has zero foreign policy experience backing him up. Biden would chew him up and spit him out a la Cheney/Edwards 2004.
• Lieberman? Think of all the fun Democrats could have with this one. The Republicans made a war-hero look like a deserter in 2004. Democrats have learned a lot since: Swingin' Joe can't seem to make up his mind...Pros? Jewish, Florida. Cons? Everything else.
• Kay Bailey Hutchinson? ???????????????????????????????

Tom Ridge? Ridge has said he was not vetted by the McCain camp. For that reason he is off my list. That being said, the smart money is still on Ridge and McCain still doesn't have the guts to pull the trigger.

Pawlenty doesn't have the experience - Look for Romney.