You got to be kidding that, John McCain and the GOP allowed this type of pick to occur. Sarah Palin has continuously mentioned about being against the Old Washington establishment. That's a bunch of crock in itself! Her husband is in the oil industry. She has so many loopholes and skeletons until it is pathetic. To me, I don't see maverick. I see switching when it's convenient. If I were Republican, I question her loyalty to the party. It seems that there's a new characteristic of presidency which is sleazy!

Also, how can you compare a VP selection to a Presidential nominee? You can't do it! It is funny that the GOP has tried to compare this dark horse with a history of drama in her life to a well established politician. It simply won't work. Remember, the American people have already spoken with him being the Democratic nominee. The GOP has allowed John McCain to make the worst political move in History! He should have selected Mitt Romney! Let's watch and see how this one plays out.

There is nothing “maverick” about being a sidekick.

Palin, however, is regarded as a maverick for at least two reasons that could seem genuine. Firstly, she “cleaned up” the Alaska state capitol of corruption. However, by all knowledgeable accounts, there is still plenty of corruption going on with the members of the Republican Party, the Far North contingency. Not all those Republican office holders who have been investigated in Alaska have gone to court yet. Governor Palin, though, is extending herself credit deserved for appearing to trying to clean up the party act, and after she herself had supported Republican Senator Ted Stevens on his multi-million dollar bridge to nowhere scam. The wily Republican then quickly withdrew her support for her old Republican friend when “Bridge to Nowhere” became a scandal. This shows that Sarah Palin is not only a maverick, if you insist, but she can flip-flop like the best Republican who has something to hide or be embarrassed about.

Despite being a flip-flopper, however, and one who knows that self-preservation is the first order of business, Governor Sarah Palin can be seen as a maverick in a very radical sense: Palin once belonged to a small, far right wing party that occasionally called for the secession of Alaska from the United States.

Whether she's fully American or not, “maverick” Governor Sarah Palin is associated, and in the family way, with big oil. That makes her more Republican than maverick. Palin would continue the Republican Party's marriage with that polluting, profit gouging, corrupting industry as any Bush/Cheney Republican would. Palin would be another oil person in the White House, just as McCain would be, a fact that's realized once McCain's energy policies and energy associates are brought to light.

Governor Sarah Palin is also a woman who would deny a woman's right to choose. Given the presidency, she would appoint to the Supreme Court enough justices to overturn Roe vs. Wade and deny the will of the majority of voters, another Republican thing these days. At the same time, of course, as a conservative, she is a staunch champion of individual liberties.

Never let it be said that getting away with things, and calling yourself a hero when you've been something other than that, isn't admired by some of the people, all of the time.

Sarah Palin's other qualifications to become Vice President of the United States (and perhaps the President of the United States) is her experience as the governor, for less than two years, of the 47th most populated state. She is also a logical Republican candidate for Vice President as Palin has no experience in national or international politics. Ignorance or lack of experience has been no barrier before to Republicans when they pick their candidates for the executive branch. In fact, dumbed down candidates are thought to relate better to common voters (and there must be something in that). Sarah Palin's ignorance of John McCain's policy on Iraq, for example, when he picked her to run as Vice President, should be of no concern. It would not break protocol. And after all, somebody on the Republican owned corporate media said Palin is a quick learner. One may suppose (and should believe) that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin can move beyond getting an “A” in survival and image making and move on up and out into the arena of policies and positions and programs. She'll just need a little help with spin, as others have received. And we are living with the results of the success of Republican deceptions.

The former beauty contestant (she came in second) and TV station news chair rose to power after a spell as mayor of a town of under 7,000 people. That alone, some Republicans will argue, has provided Palin with the experience she would need should she become President of the United States after the death or faltering health of a President John McCain, a 72-year old man who has twice been the victim of cancer.

On the job training has been tried in the White House before by the Republican Party. But no matter. Whether ignorance or inexperience is an issue or not with regard to Palin, she fills yet another requisite for the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is under investigation for an ethics charge. The charge in question (or not) is that she abused her power as governor by firing her safety commissioner after he refused to fire, on Governor Palin's urging, a state trooper who was getting a divorce from Palin's sister.

Abuse of power has been a trait in leading Republican office holders for at least the last 40 years.

As if the tendency to abuse power were not enough of a qualification, Palin also suits as the VP nominee as the Republican Party, the Party of Family Values: although Palin has been an advocate of abstinence-only as a method of birth control (or behavior control), her teenaged daughter is pregnant.

Nothing more qualifies a Republican as a candidate for any public office than a history of hypocrisy and failure. And getting away with it all. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is a highly suitable, very logical choice to become the next Republican Vice President of the United States.

He outsmarted Hillary on just about every level her campaign could come up with. They include: constant mudslinging,attacks on his wife,his patriotism, inexperience, his former pastor's remarks and foreign policy to name a few. O'bama was still able to ride the tide of ridicule and advance unscathed. He definitely came from behind and won. I still say he's the underdog. I find it ironic that McCain has stated that he's the underdog and not O'bama. I don't believe that is possible because his party is in power and typically the party in power has no difficulty receiving his parties nomination. So quite naturally, he has not really survived the constant negative attacks that come from the media. Also, his visit to Iraq and other countries solidifies his political notebook. Barack O'bama has reached a level of political strategy never seen before. I hope he continues to make strides in our political process more positive. Let's wait and see.

 

Senator McCain did criticize the handling of the strategy of the war by former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, who eventually resigned. Mr. McCain also supported the “surge”, which he feels, has been a success. Senator Obama was thrust into the limelight, without asking, when the President and Senator McCain made their statements. Mr. Obama seemed to welcome the fight, and he said he was ready to have this debate about the safety and protection of the country, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, because he feels that the country has been made less safe, by the policies of the current White House, in the face of the Iraq war, and Senator John McCain, has backed the White House all the way. In the meantime, Senator Hillary Clinton, has been placed on the back page of many minds, the campaign purchased a newspaper advertisement last week, and had to call television commentators, to ask them to talk about the ad, it seems to have gotten to that point.

At this time, Senator Obama needs a little over one-hundred delegates to reach the needed, two-thousand, twenty-five to claim the nomination. There are fifty-two delegates at stake, in Kentucky, and one-hundred and twelve, in Oregon. Senator Obama's share will be around seventy-two or so, if my numbers are correct. He would then need about fifty-eight delegates to shut the race down. Senator Clinton says, she has the most popular votes, if you include Florida and Michigan, but that's another story. The Democratic party rules, state that the one who has won two thousand, twenty five delegates is the nominee.

Senator Clinton, will try to make the argument to the Super delegates, that she is the better candidate, who has won the most popular votes. The massive wave of seventy-five thousand, supporters at the rally yesterday, seems to belie her contention. Senator Obama by the dust up last week, his insurmountable wins, the undeclared, crowning of him as the presumptive nominee, has him, riding a wave of enthusiasm, forward to the General election against Senator John McCain. So now, let the race begin.

Well, let's see. I don't think so. For one, he's beating Hillary in his count for delegates by a substantial rate. Second, he still has the popular vote. Third, she has used too much mudslinging to be president. Next, she's disenfranchised the majority or even all of her African-American voters. Last, Obama has outsmarted her in more ways than one. As you can see, I can go on and on. It's evident you need to throw in the towel when just about everyone is screaming, "Hillary, end your campaign!"

Now, despite the fact that Hillary picked up most of the delegates in West Virginia is not indicative that she has picked up enough stem to win. Remember, Obama is already in the lead. He picked up five more delegates. She's still far behind him in her count. Either way, Obama will win the Democratic Party nomination.

Let me explain a little of the reasoning behind my comments. First of all, we as the American people do not necessarily want a female president. For goodness sakes, she cried when she lost one of her primaries. We all know that shows weakness. It's more like, the more I learned about Obama, I'm like," to heck with Hillary!" It's kind of like a stigma attached to her that won't go away. Hypothetically speaking, had she been the nominee; we all know who her husband is. Duh, former president, Bill Clinton. That in itself has bad vibes stemming from it. Then on the other hand, you have Obama. He has been put him through the mud and back. I must admit, he's still standing strong. She even engaged in scandalous mudslinging. Obama was hanging on like the underdog or is he? He's definitely a dark horse candidate.

To sum everything up, Obama is a unifying figure/presidential candidate. He represents both races that for decades have had differences. Now, its like, the same people whom were denigrated and put down will be the same mixed race that leads this country to worldwide peace. When I see Obama, I don't say here's a black president. I say that's our American president. He can relate to both white and black. He will be our next president. Let's watch and see.

As well, she is losing in her ability to raise funds for her campaign. Hillary was once determined and witty. Now she has engaged on an attack of Barack Obama’s character. She is simply doing a lot of finger pointing instead of informing the American people about her policies and platform. This is simply bad politics and mudslinging. In retrospect, Barack Obama has the popular vote and he is the best choice to beat the G.O.P.’s nominee, John McCain. It is not feasible for Hillary to continue with her vie for the Democratic nomination. She has fallen too far behind.

In addition, her top aide was endorsing issues that she opposes. That is a clear indication that her campaign is falling apart or has fallen apart. Somehow, Illinois Senator Barack Obama has convinced the American people, more importantly; the Democrats that he is their nominee. If Hillary drops out at this point and give Barack Obama her endorsement; then this will allow all Democrats and American people to vote for Obama as this country’s next President. Otherwise, they are giving the presidency to McCain. This will in fact split the very votes that we need.

At this point, it is anyone's guess, what the Senator from New York will do. Her friends and supporters are hoping, she will have enough support, when this race is over to move on with dignity, and regroup her efforts, to have a major say in the party, should she not win the nomination of the party.

Things are beginning to come together, which would seem to indicate that the nomination, will not be bestowed upon Senator Clinton, this time around. Senator Obama, has garnered the most popular votes, the most pledged delegates, and the most states won. He does not yet have the magic number of 2,025 needed to win the nomination outright. But, he is much closer to that number, than Mrs. Clinton. At last count, he had a total of 1,646, while her total was 1,511. Washington Post columnist Robert Novak, reported that, he had spoken to about ten of the Super Delegates, who were supporters of Senator Clinton, and all of them said, in essence, they would be supporting her to the very end, but not one of them, could see anyway, that she would be the nominee, when the race ended.

The Super Delegates, have to decide, who they will vote for, to be the candidate, running against the Republican, presumptive nominee, Senator John McCain, in the November general election. With the momentum, apparently behind Senator Obama, in spite of the dust up, in recent days over remarks made by Senator Obama. At a San Francisco fundraiser, over the weekend, certain words he spoke, were taken as elitist. He had to explain what he meant, when he said people in rural areas were “bitter”, about their circumstances, and they often turn, to guns and religion and against people, who don't look like they do. This was quickly pounced upon, by Senators, Clinton and McCain, and portrayed as being elitist. As one reporter said, it is quite amazing, to portray a person, who was abandoned by his father at the age of two, lost his mother to cancer at an early age, raised by his grandparents, who depended, reportedly, on food stamps, and worked his way through college with loans and scholarships, as being elitist. But this, as they say, is the political game of hardball, you use what you have, as is the case with most politicians. Senator Obama has tried, with limited success, to explain what he meant.

Senator Obama, despite, all of this, currently has a seven point edge over Senator Clinton, in the national polls. Things could change, but for the moment, Senator Clinton's argument, that Senator Obama is unelectable, does not appear to be correct. The Super Delegates will choose, who they think, could best beat Senator McCain. Since Super Tuesday One, Senator Clinton has lost two Super Delegates, Senator Obama, has picked up fifty-four, if reported correctly.

Over the weekend, at a dinner in Philadelphia, Governor Ed Rendell reportedly said, that the controversy over the words, spoken by Senator Obama might take a few points off of his polling numbers, but in the long run, it would not cost him the nomination, also that the words would be forgotten by November. Governor Rendell, is an ardent supporter of Senator Clinton, it would then appear, that reality is setting in, and observant people are slowly coming to the conclusion, that Senator Obama, as depicted on Saturday Night Live, will be the next President of the United States. Not withstanding, he has to fare well against Senator John McCain. But with Mr. McCain's “ one-hundred year” war stance, and the country wanting the Iraq war to end, Senator McCain may just be on the wrong side of the war issue.

It is therefore very interesting, that whispers are being heard, and speculation, is going on, as to what Senator Clinton might pursue next. The word is, that she might run for Governor of New York in 2009. This may be the perfect venue for Mrs. Clinton, depending on whether or not she becomes the Democratic nominee. She would bring a great deal of clot and expertise to the governorship, as well as bringing with her, the former President Bill Clinton. First couple of New York would be a very interesting place, for a very politically astute pair. New York, would surely welcome them, although, Mayor Bloomberg might have his eye on the same prize in 2009. Time will certainly tell.