Bottom line on Palin?

Question

I've decided that I don't want a lipstick wearing pit bull hockey mom, fresh in from the wilderness to be one heartbeat away from president of the United States. Am I alone here?

Answer 1

[ This was already posted on Washington Independent comments area,

with a controllable hotmail account, and was obviously meant by the

author to be read. ]

Thanks,

Anne

ABOUT SARAH PALIN

I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992.

Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a

first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her

father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a

first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more

City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the

residents of the city.

She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular

girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and

won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because

she is a “babe”.

It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She

kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents

for seven months.

She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby.

There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.

She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.

She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out

there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.

Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a

champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly

sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his

work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or

so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their

major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything

like that of native Alaskans.

Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.

She’s smart.

Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000

(at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about

670,000 residents.

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running

this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been

pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had

gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had

given rise to a recall campaign.

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6

years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over

33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the

City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation

(1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a

regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she

promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they

benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration

weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed

money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it

with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage

the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said

she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a

new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a

multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece

of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was

still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers

involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the

community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it

would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that

could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.

While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office

redecorated more than once.

These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.

As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus

in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will

make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she

proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.

In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she

recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while

she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s

surplus, borrow for needs.

She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas

or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by

her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the

basis of who proposed them.

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected

City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from

the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents

rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and again

Answer 2

Not at all.  

Answer 3

I for one want a lipstick wearing pit bulll soccer mom fighting for me in Washington! Don't get me started on what actions have been "expressed" by some of this countries leaders in our Oval Office and it has not been for the betterment of the people. We tend to forget that anyone working for the government is an employee of the people. I would want Govenor Palin to be on my payroll.  

Answer 4

You are very alone, you poor soul.  Palin is a typical American, more qualified than Obama, with a proven track record and yes experience!

McCain/Palin 08'

Answer 5

i thikn she's just who we need in Washington, i wish she was running for president, she gets things done while not smudging her lipstick, that's a real feminist.  i think you're afraid of change, real change that is

Answer 6

I wouldn't care if she were an actual pit bull, if she wasn't using her Bible to decide how the rest of us should live.

I'm all for outsiders in Washington, and I love to see a new generation stepping up.  But I'm also quite fond of personal freedom and personal responsibility.  I don't want my government defining morality for me.

Answer 7

Check her record out on defenders of wildlife-she is a power hungry-sadistic person. I am appalled at her nomination-but they said it was coming on this site a long time ago. This is bad-spread the word that's all you can do and just hope it works.

Answer 8

You are not alone. Read some of the comments about her on here.

However, from what I heard last night, she intends to be around for quite some time. And from some of the comments from Democrats and Republicans she has gained some respect from both. A lot of people thought they could send running back to Alaska. They were sadly mistaken.

Your best bet is to get used to her. She is not going away anytime soon.