A party neutral question..?

Question

What are the pros/cons of Sarah Palin? I'm a former Hillary supporter (ie a sore loser) who is trying to decide who to support. I don't care about party lines.

Answer 1

Are you pro-choice? Palin isn't.

Are you pro-science? Palin wants to teach creationism in schools.

Are you against abuse of power by people in office? Palin is under investigation for allegedly pressuring the State Troopers to fire her ex-brother-in-law.

Answer 2

Take what you liked about Hillary and flip it.

You have Palin.

Answer 3

Here's the deal:

1. Sued the Feds to get the polar bears off the endangered species list

2. Anti-choice, even in cases of rape/incest

3. Wants creationism in schools

4. May *possibly* be anti-contraception.  I have yet to confirm or deny these allegations.  In Time, they touted her as being anti-abortion, pro-contraception, because she is a member of the Feminists for Life.  Right on the FFL website, they specifically say they do not take a stand one way or the other, as an organization.  So you decide.

5. Anti g*y marriage

6. Doesn't believe humans are causing global warming

I have provided you with links, so you can see for yourself that everything I am saying is true, and what she believes.  

If you really believed in what Hillary ran for, then I cannot see you voting for this ticket.

Answer 4

I use a litmus test and it seems to work out pretty well for me.

I look at one issue first, abortion.

A candidate can be against abortion, or the right to choose, but it is how they interpret what they want to do.

If they are for repealing Roe V Wade and passing laws to make it very difficult to get an abortion, then they lose my vote. If they are solidly for the right to choose, even if they are like myself, hating abortion with ever fiber of my body, then they may get my vote. The reason is very simple, going one way tells me they are a controlling person who does not put individualism first, nor do they have the common sense to understand that the country can't agree if it is murder or not, nor can we agree when life begins and we certainly can't agree which types of abortions can be preformed, if any. Anti abortionists can't even decide among themselves where this issue starts and where it ends. Nor do they have the common sense to understand the ones they will be hurting with restricting abortions are the lower middle class to the very poor, because they don't have the money to seek illegal abortions, or go out of the country for a safe one.

The other is putting religion in our public schools. What they continually fail to understand, who's religion will they put in there? Plus, if that is allowed, then we must give equal representation to all religions, from Jewish, to Muslim, to lost tribes in the Amazon, to devil worshipers. Religion does not belong in our public schools, but rather with the individual and their church or place of worship.

That my friend, is my litmus test. One is voting against a control freak, the other is voting for one who believes in individualism and common sense.

Palin is for telling a woman what to do with her body and putting religion in our public schools

Clinton is for choice and keeping religion out.

Clearly, my choice, if I were in your shoes, would be Obama.

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Life is so simple, but we insist on making it complicated

Confucius

551 - 479 BC

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Peace

Jim

Answer 5

It's fine if you don't care about party lines but, what do you care about? Do you care about the war in Iraq? Do you care about public education? Do you care about preserving a woman's right to choose to have an abortion if she wants one? Do you care about getting affordable health care for all Americans? These are all issues that Hillary cares deeply about and the best way to support Hillary right now would be to vote for Obama. Do you believe in gun control? Do you think we should teach creationism in public schools? Find out what the candidates believe and then vote for the one(s) who agree with your beliefs and what you think matters and is important. There's nothing wrong with supporting a woman but there's no reason to vote for someone just because they are a woman. By choosing Palin as a running mate John McCain is betting on the fact that women will vote for him and her just because they are angry about HIllary and want a woman. But what's the point of electing someone just because they're a woman if you don't agree with their politics? That's sexism if I've ever heard of it.

Answer 6

Hi,

Well, let me ask you something.  Why did you support Hillary?  What did she stand for that you like?

I know that Hillary is pro-choice and Sarah Palin most definitely, most decidedly is not.  Was that important to you?

Part of the problem here is that we all know so very little about Sarah Palin because she has no legislative record and very little political experience in general.  She was mayor of a small town in Alaska and has been governor for two years in a state that has fewer people than the 15 largest American cities.

Did you trust Hillary's leadership and judgment REALLY?  Hillary Clinton asked you to vote for Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton supports some measure of gun control.  Sarah Palin is a long-time member of the NRA.  Is that important to you?

Hillary Clinton is a progressive environmentalist.  Sarah Palin's husband is employed by BP, an oil company, and wants to drill in her own state's Arctic Wildlife Preserve.  Is that important to you?

If there's anything else Hillary Clinton stood for that you consider really important, let me know and I'll try to dig up where Governor Palin stands on the subject so that you can compare it to Senator Clinton's position.

Are you bitter because Hillary wasn't nominated to run in November or because Obama did not select her as VP, because I really, really like her too but I think she wasn't selected for valid reasons.  I think in the end, Senator Obama knows that the Republicans have spent the last 20 years figuring out every attack point for both Hillary and Bill Clinton, and they did not want to risk the additional opportunity for the McCain campaign to attack. I'm not saying it was the right decision, but it's not without reason and it is not because Senator Obama does not deeply respect Hillary Clinton.

UPDATE:

Senator McCain WILL continue the policies of Bush.  He has said so and frankly, his party won't allow him to do otherwise.

Why do you not trust Barack Obama?  What has he ever said or done to suggest that you should not?

Answer 7

I like her because she is independent minded and a reformer.  She has more enemies in the Republican party than outside.  She is beholden to nobody.

I like her pro NRA stance as well as her pro-life stance.

She's fiscally conservative and has cut taxes and spending.  She sold the state jet on eBay.  

Here's my strategic offering to you.  Not only did Barack pass over Hillary, he also passed over people like Kathleen Sebelius and Janet Napolitano.  Biden is not ready to be president, Kathleen Sebelius has a proven track record as a governor.  That should have been Obama's pick.

Why didn't Obama pick a women?  Simple, he doesn't have to.  He knows (or believes) that Hillary's supporters are so wedded to the Democratic party that he can offend them at will.  Instead he chooses a party hack with zero interest in any real change.  

You only get power when you are willing to walk away.  As long as nothing they do will change your mind, they will do nothing to change.  

The conservative were ready to take a tactical loss this year, reasoning that Obama would make such a dog's breakfast of things that 2012 they get right back in.  Palin completely scrubbed that strategy.  

If I was a woman I'd gamble on Palin.  Like or don't like her policies dumping the good old boys that run the DNC will show them your power.

They say h**l hath no fury like a woman scorned.  This election will give us a chance to actually measure that.

Answer 8

If you are comparing Palin to Clinton its like night and day. Sarah is much more in line with moral and ethical teachings. Hillary is a politician and nothing more (tell people what they want to hear). If you listen to Hillary you would think that she was part of every important legislation in last 35yrs (give me a break). Sarah has allot to prove but I like what I see so far

Answer 9

It depends on your views.   A few party neutral good things about her: she's committed to her citizens, she fought hard against the established and corrupt government that was already in power, she helped tremendously in reducing violence and corruption, she fought against and helped to end the bridge to nowhere.  Actually she got alot of MEANINGFUL things accomplished during her time in power which really is more than you can say for Obama who managed to get a few joint fluff issue bills passed during his time in senate.   Not saying much.  She also enjoys an over 80% approval rating.  She also has strong family values which is important to most people.

Other than that she's very conservative which some women would say helps women others would say it hurts women, that depends on where you stand.   It also depends on how big of an issue things like abortion is to you.  If abortion is one of your primary issues then you will either love her or hate her considering she's very pro life. Although it really doesn't matter what her stance is on that issue, McCain's stance on it is far more meaningful as it will be HIM that chooses the Supreme court judges not Palin.  

There is also the appeal that comes with having the first woman VP nomination for the Republican party and the potential for the first woman VP elected in history.   McCain is offering women something that the Democrats fell short on which is ACTUAL respect for women in a position of power.  I'm impressed so far with the steps they've taken to further the movement of women.   It was Republicans who elected the first female African American secretary of state and now they are making a valid and honest attempt at putting a woman into the VP office.   And McCain has promised to put more women into executive positions in the white house than any President before him which is appealing as well.  

Of course, I'm not voting for Palin, I'm voting McCain but I do agree with her on many issues with the exception of religion in schools but that also isn't a major issue for me.   So I personally think she's a pretty good choice.

Answer 10

MAVERICK YOU FORGOT PALIN ALSO WANTS THE POLAR BEARS TO BE TAKEN OFF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST....

OBAMA 08

Answer 11

I'll admit beforehand that I like Sarah Palin.  But I'll try to be more fair to you.

Cons-

1.) Limited Foreign Experience

2.) Her husband works for an oil company

3.) She's relatively unknown

Pros-

1.)She turned in many corrupt people even in her own party who worked on the Oil and Energy Board in Alaska.

2.)She has executive experience as a mayor and a governor

3.)She tremendously reduced Alaska's government budget to create a surplus

4.)She took the surplus and gave it back to the citizens to help them pay for energy (Gas in some places is 4.97 a gallon).  

5.)She turned back several money wasting executive orders that her predecessor issued.

6.)She's not afraid of anyone, and she doesn't seem to have taken any bribes.

7.)She's lived a working class, non-privileged life prior to building a good life for herself.

8.)She cut her own pay because her position was getting raises at a higher rate than her fellow Alaskans.

9.)Even as governor, she maintained a middle class lifestyle.

10.) She has an excellent environmental record

11.) She is a big supporter of energy independence

12.) She has an approval rating of nearly 90% in her state.  For those who have never been to Alaska, there are a lot more hippie-ish types than you would think.  (to put that in perspective, you couldn't get 80% of the people to agree that the sky is blue).

Answer 12

Pros:

-She did take down some corrupt members of her own party

-She's helped Alaskans with taxes, giving them tax credits from windfall oil profits

-Stood up for ending some wasteful projects like "bridge to nowhere"

Cons:

-She has no foreign policy experience, by her own admission doesn't know much about what's going on in Iraq.

-For Democrats, she's a staunch conservative who

1.doesn't believe global warming is manmade,

2.is against abortion even in cases of rape/incest

3. thinks Creationism should be taught alongside evolution in schools

4. fought for polar bears to get OFF the endangered species list

5. wants ANWR (wildlife reserve) open for drilling

6. Is pro-death penalty

7. pro-guns

Pretty much the opposite of Hillary but if you're a staunch conservative she's great for you.

If you want to know their stances on the issues, go to:

http://www.votesmart.org/

http://www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.h...

Answer 13

This is your opportunity to land a strong, intelligent, and talented woman in the White House. It doesn't matter if she is pro-life; she is just one person, a VP, at that. In 4 years, if she makes the grade, she will be elected President and from then on the spot will be open for others. People just need to see it work out and it won't be an issue again.

I like who she seems to be and her stand on the issues, but at this point in history I'd go for it if I were you.

Answer 14

She has a history of standing up against the status quo

She has lived a real life - not as a poltical hack

She is a real person unlike Hillary who was a plastic version of a wore out barbee doll

Answer 15

Sarah is a good choice because she is not afraid to take on the establishment.

It is true she is way more conservative than Hillary. I'm pro choice and she is not.

I'm excited about Sarah..and some fresh air. I think the fact she is NOT a lawyer..is great. I can't see being a lawyer as being the best qualification.

Palin has a Journalism degree...at first that may seem like nothing..but it is similar to law in reasoning and getting sources and research.  The difference is journalism gets the story to find answers, gain perspective, etc.

Forgetting about the top two guys ..President...I think Sarah is much more exciting than Biden.

About time we had a lady in the White House.

Answer 16

Sarah Palin voted against protection for Polar Bears "because it might stop oil drilling."  Yup.  Not exactly warm and fuzzy  is she?  

She doesn't think a woman should have total control over her own body - ever.  She belongs of an ultra-conservative group that doesn't even believe in the birth control pills (check out: thepillkills.com)

And, if you were a Hillary supporter, you must be a fan of experience.  She doesn't have much.  The GOP is trying hard to say that she has executive experience - and she is a governor - but if McCain corked off after having started a couple of wars, she'd be the one answering the red phone.  She doesn't even know who the players are in D.C.

Okay, I just have to say, that Hillary had one child and she did a great job raising Chelsea.  With the demands of public life in a position as VP - or God forbid - President, when would she have time to be with her children?  10:00 pm???  She has FIVE children and one of them is challenged.  That means she is challenged raising that child.  I'm a Mom and I was a working Mom when my son was young.  It's a tough gig.  You can't just walk off and leave those kids with nannies for 4 years.  At least I wouldn't.

Okay now, all that aside.  You were a Hillary supporter and you're considering voting for McCain?  If McCain wins, people who don't have access to health care WILL DIE.   Troops who stay in Iraq WILL DIE and we will continue to spend 10 - 12 billion a month while the Iraq's maintain a SURPLUS equivalent to 80 billion dollars.  McCain will continue tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and continue tax breaks for companies that ship their jobs overseas.  If you vote for McCain, you'll really be losing then.

Good luck with your decision - it really matters for everyone.

Answer 17

That's simple. Vote for McCain. Obama obviously feels intimidated by women with power. Any strong woman would never vote for a man who clearly can't handle a woman with any intelligence at all.