An Alaskan Woman’s Perspective on Sarah Palin

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fireweed (19:24:06) :

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An Alaskan Woman’s Perspective on Sarah Palin

I am Mary A., age 55, from Fairbanks, Alaska. I wish to voice my strong disapproval of the choice of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate. I expressed total disbelief when McCain selected her, as did most people in my life. Never in my wildest dreams had I considered her to be even remotely qualified to be our nation’s vice-president, much less our president should that ever be the unfortunate case. I have chosen to write down my thoughts and concerns and to share them with other voters in our state and nation. I want people to know what an Alaskan resident thinks about this choice and why. I have lived here for 30 years, and yes, my family enjoys many activities in the outdoors and in the wilderness. We own guns, we hunt, we fish,we enjoy moose burgers and caribou and salmon and halibut. We pick blueberries and cranberries and harvest gardens. We have sailed in Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska and in Southeast Alaska. We have hiked and kayaked in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other wilderness areas. We are active citizens, always vote, have raised two children here, and are proud to live in Alaska. But Governor Palin would never be our choice vice-president.

Yes, she was a mayor of a small town in Alaska with a small population of under 7000 during her tenure. She was elected with less than 700 total votes. Now she is the governor of our state which has less than 700,000 total residents, and has been so for only 18 months. She was elected with a total of 114,697 votes. Slightly over 239,000 people voted, the lowest voter turnout since 1990. You know, 17 cities in the U.S. have populations greater than the entire state of Alaska! Being Governor of Alaska is like being mayor of a U.S. city where only 239,000 people voted! She’s been learning about government in a small isolated town, and in a state with a small, and isolated population. A small population base makes for a small and often less selective candidate pool. Her experience from a national and world perspective truly is miniscule. It does not make her ready to be a major player on the world stage.

The more I have learned about this candidate since her selection, the more concerned I have become, both about what she is and what she isn’t. Many of my friends, both male and female, have echoed my concerns. Her characterization of her few government accomplishments is disengenuous to put it lightly. She has reaped the benefit of state coffers that are nicely in the black simply due to the state’s royalty share of oil profits. Outrageous world oil prices have given us a budget surplus, not policies from Sarah. She has not had to balance the budget or overcome deficits. She has actually increased our budget considerably. She has not cut our taxes. Alaska does not even have an income tax, nor state sales taxes. What taxes is she talking about? She was definitely for the “Bridge to No Where” until the very last minute and Alaska has kept the money allocated for that project. She has been an active supporter of other earmark funds as well. I am concerned about her national misrepresentation of herself.

During the last year and a half our state has been getting to know this new governor. Her relatively high approval rating may well be due to the “honeymoon” effect of her short tenure to date. That “honeymoon” was starting to end, however, since even before this VP nomination. Questions had already been raised by Alaskans about Palin and her professionalism and judgment. Topics that were already newsworthy concerns even before this selection include: unprofessional and disrespectful talk show behavior, rocky relationships with other elected women in government, and actions against government employees based on personal vendettas. However, most people were still giving her the benefit of the doubt, or, having been so busy living and working, they had paid little serious attention to state government or to Sarah. Plus, of course, when state coffers are overflowing and both permanent fund and energy assistance checks are in the mail (totaling over $3000 per person), constituent approval is understandable.

I do not ever want to be for or against a candidate simply because of age, race, religion, or gender. I do not want to vote for a candidate simply because I can “relate” to him/her. I can relate to many of the parents of my children’s friends. I can relate to women who have been soccer moms, hockey moms, homework moms, PTA moms, orchestra moms,…… as I have been. I can relate to the women in my thirteen year old book group. I can relate to people who enjoy singing, and dancing, and music. I can relate to my coworkers and colleagues. I can relate to these people in my life, but I don’t want to select any of them as my vice-president or president simply because I can “relate” to them. So far Sarah has not let me know what she truly thinks and believes about important issues. During her speeches, she simply replays what she said at her convention speech. I can only assume that she wants my vote based on gender, her religious views, her less than honest portrayal of her accomplishments as small town mayor and governor of a state with a small population, and because she can deliver caustic jabs at her opponents.

Despite her assertion that she is for honest and transparent government, she is apparently not willing to be transparent as a vice-presidential nominee. She has not yet answered any serious queries by the press so that I can get to know more about her other than Alaskan issues and “scandals”, her family matters, as well as her views on abortion, sex education and contraception. I want her to answer serious questions so that I can learn her views on important issues and about why she believes she is prepared for this position. The fact that she has hired a lawyer in regards to “Troopergate” makes me wonder how upfront she wants to be with this ethics investigation. Or, does she just want to stall this inquiry until after the election?

I want any candidate I vote for to be one of the best thinkers and decision-makers our country has to offer. I want them to be someone who can be respectful, who can unify, who can consider all sides of an issue, who can listen, who can evaluate, who can learn from the past. I want a candidate who can be respected both from within our country and from without. I now know that Sarah went to five colleges and then graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science. I would like to know more about her background as a serious student and a deep thinker. If her grades were good or if she participated in university level organizations, this would be one way for me to know about her intellect. I have not yet seen a release of her GPA and most colleges where she attended can’t remember much about her. I want to hear her speak intelligently and “off the cuff” on many issues before I know whether she has the intellect for national office.

So far, most of her comments and her demeanor in the national spotlight have been sarcastic and divisive. This is not what I want in a national leader. She has been praised for becoming McCain’s “pit bull” and talking tough. But you know, if she can talk tough, she needs to truly be tough. Why isn’t she talking to the press on her own? Why is she able to dish it out yet is afraid to take it? The fact that McCain’s campaign says she needs to get ready to talk to the press, that she needs to prepare, and that the press needs to treat her with “deference” only shows me that she’s not ready to be on the national stage on her own. This is not what I want in my vice-president or possible president. She needs to be ready to face some truly formidable characters in many different regions of the world, with very high stakes at risk. How can she be ready for those sorts of confrontations if she can’t even “face” her own country’s press? How can she say she is for transparency in government if she refuses to open herself up to the press? Whether or not she has been under scrutiny for her personal life, she can’t hide from the press. She accepted this scrutiny when she accepted the nomination. Believe me, even more intense scrutiny comes with the job, even more than when interviewing for the job. How can I continue to interview her for this job, which is what I believe a campaign is about, if she won’t even answer my questions via “the press”? If she is elected, will she also feel that she has no obligation to speak with the press? Scary thought. As a woman, I want a female candidate to believe in herself and to feel confident and comfortable talking to the press. She is letting the McCain campaign treat her as a “fragile flower” even as they use her as their “pitbull”. A strong and confident woman would insist on talking to the press for herself. If she can’t handle this scrutiny, or this pressure, what will she do in a national crisis?

The more I learn about Sarah Pallin, the more I believe that she has not put “Country First” when she accepted this nomination. Sarah has not been honest about her accomplishments. She has not been realistic about her educational preparation. She has not been realistic or transparent about her knowledge and preparation for dealing with the national economy. She has not been realistic or transparent about her knowledge and preparation for dealing with world affairs. She is not ready to face her own country’s press much less world leaders and the world press. She is not prepared for this important national and world position and SHE SHOULD KNOW THIS! Is she flattered by the nomination and unable to see beyond her ego that she is unqualified? Is she complicit in realizing that she is not qualified yet is simply being used as bait for the religiously conservative fundamental and female votes? My conclusion is that Sarah is in this for Sarah. She’s willing to sell our country out for the glory of the nomination and for the chance at being a Republican window dressing. She won’t be getting my vote!

Alaska National Guard General Changes Story; Palin Promotes

Written by Brandon Friedman

When John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate, the campaign immediately began touting her experience--both foreign and domestic--as "commander-in-chief" of the Alaska National Guard. But the reality of the situation--that Palin actually had little to do with the National Guard quickly became apparent. In fact, the idea was undercut severely by comments made by the actual commander of the Alaska National Guard--its Adjutant General, Major General Craig Campbell. When that happened, it eventually turned into somewhat of a national joke, culminating in the humiliation of McCain/Palin campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds on CNN when he tried to promote Palin’s "foreign policy" experience during the Republican National Convention.

• Brandon Friedman's diary :: ::

It was getting bad for the McCain campaign because they couldn’t afford to lose the "experience" argument to the Obama campaign.

But suddenly--and strangely--the commander of the Alaska National Guard, Major General Campbell, changed his story. By the end of the convention, he was praising Palin’s experience, talking on TV about how she had taken control of Alaska’s National Guard operations and how she was a "great" leader.

Interestingly enough, Palin promoted him with his third star--to the rank of Lieutenant General--only three days later.

Essentially, Campbell had been unhelpful to the campaign at the very least. But all of a sudden he became one of Palin’s biggest supporters. And he was then promoted to be one of the two highest-ranking state National Guard officials in the country. See if this timeline is as eyebrow-raising to you as it is to me:

Sunday 31 August 2008: Major General Craig Campbell, Adjutant General of the Alaska National Guard, tells the AP that:

he and Palin play no role in national defense activities, even when they involve the Alaska National Guard. The entire operation is under federal control, and the governor is not briefed on situations.

The quote is used against Palin throughout the media for several days.

Wednesday 3 September 2008: Major General Craig Campbell does significantly more damage to Palin’s credibility in this piece in the Boston Globe:

And while the Alaska National Guard operates a launch site for a US anti-missile system at Fort Greely, about 100 miles south of Fairbanks, the Alaskan governor is not in the site's chain of command and has no authority over its operations, according to Maj. Gen. Craig E. Campbell, the adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard who commands the roughly 3,800 state militia members.

"Our National Guard is basically just like any National Guard," said Maj. Gen. Craig E. Campbell, the adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard who commands the roughly 3,800 state militia members. Campbell, a native of Springfield, Mass., said by telephone. "You could call [Adjutant General] Joe Carter in Massachusetts and he would say he is organized the same way."

Nor are the recent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan by the Alaska National Guard under Palin's purview, despite assertions this week by McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds to that effect. "She is head of the National Guard that has been deployed overseas," Bounds said. "That's foreign policy experience."

Campbell also said that Palin has authority over the National Guard's domestic missions -- such as fighting wildfires and rescuing stranded residents, but that she has a limited role in determining how the forces are trained or equipped.

About 75 percent of the Guard's budget, he said, is the purview of the National Guard Bureau in Washington, which is responsible for ensuring the Guard is prepared to be called up by the president in a time of war. Her primary role, he said, is in recruiting National Guard volunteers.

Campbell said he has met with Palin about once a month, but communicates with her by phone and email more frequently. Earlier this week, he noted, she ordered the Air National Guard to fly a planeload of supplies to hurricane victims in the Gulf Coast.

"She is very much engaged in what we are doing and she asks a lot of questions," Campbell said. "Maybe not the most engaged, but definitely engaged.

She is very much involved in ensuring that I am recruiting enough people.

Friday 5 September 2008: Only two days later, Campbell’s story has completely flip-flopped. Now he’s suddenly praising Palin, appearing on Fox News to gush about what a superb commander-in-chief she is:

"I'll tell you, in the last few days, I've been watching the press, and I've not been very pleased with what I've been seeing about the chastising of the National Guard by having it diminished by the insinuation that a commander-in-chief of the National Guard doesn't really control the military. The National Guard has 500,000 people in it around this great country, serving in states and overseas. National Guards are state military forces run by governors, and Sarah Palin does it great."

Here’s the video:

Monday 8 September: After the weekend--and after his complimentary remarks--Major General Campbell is promoted within the Alaska National Guard to the rank of Lieutenant General. The promotion is not recognized outside the state of Alaska, but he is promoted with his third star, nonetheless. Here is the release:

For Immediate Release

7 September 2008

No. 08-153

Alaska National Guard Adjutant General Promoted

September 8, 2008, Camp Denali , Alaska – Before a formation of Alaska Air and Army National Guard members, the Alaska National Guard's top leader was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General yesterday in front of the Guard's headquarters building on Fort Richardson .

Lt. Gen. ( Alaska ) Craig E. Campbell, the adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard and commissioner of the Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, received his third star, signifying Governor Sarah Palin's support of the Guard and her commitment to reinforcing the cooperation between federal and state military assets.

Palin took the opportunity to promote Campbell ahead of any pending emergency that may occur with the upcoming fall storm season. This allows Alaska to have more of a say in times of state disasters.

"This is about Alaskans serving Alaskans. The promotion is a statement that the Alaska National Guard is the state military force responsible for responding to state issues, at the direction of the Governor," Governor Palin said. "The decision to promote the Adjutant General to Lieutenant General is based on a fundamental states'-rights stance, for which Alaska has a strong historical position."

This issue gained momentum with governors following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the Department of Defense pushed a change in federal law that authorized the President of the United States to mobilize National Guard members to federal service in response to emergencies, without the consent of the governor.

The National Governors Association and the Adjutants General Association of the United States were unanimously opposed to this change, and the following year Congress reversed the law. Concurrently, Alaska Statutes were changed to permit the governor to promote the Adjutant General to the state rank of Lieutenant General specifically for state service.

Campbell was pinned with his third star by his daughter Amanda Rauckhorst and wife, Anne Marie Campbell. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell was also in attendance and spoke on behalf of Gov. Palin about the importance of the Alaska National Guard in securing the state.

"The action of promoting the Adjutant General to Lieutenant General ( Alaska ) in one way serves to strengthen the concept that the federal and state forces are co-equal partners in providing support to the state of Alaska ," Campbell said. "It is also a positive statement by Governor Palin that the Adjutant General, as a senior state official and cabinet member of a state entity, correctly relates to the senior appointed federal officials in Alaska , when supporting the citizens of this great state."

Campbell will only wear the rank of Lieutenant General when he is in service to the state. His federal rank will remain Major General. This state promotion carries no financial benefit to Campbell . When serving in state status, the Adjutant General receives commissioner pay and benefits. When serving in active-duty status (federal), the Adjutant General is paid under the federally recognized rank of Major General.

Campbell now joins the rank of the adjutant general from the Texas National Guard, which currently has a lieutenant general as its top officer. Georgia and Maryland have also had adjutants general as lieutenants general in the past.

If nothing else, this series of events raises serious questions about what’s going on. And the media would be wise to probe this further.

UPDATE: The link to the press release seems to have changed from what I received via email last night. Not sure what's up with that. CORRECTION: The link wasn't changed. I had the wrong link. I've now updated the diary with the correct link.

UPDATE II: Whoah. Read this. The plot really thickens now.

Also available at VetVoice

Sarah Palins Full Length Lie Caught On Video

CONTACT MSNBC ABOUT OLBERMANN AND MATTHEWS

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According to today’s WA Post, MSNBC/NBC is removing Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews “as the annchors of live political events, owing to growing criticism that they are too opinionated to be seen as newutral in the heat of the president campaign.” This is a serious and frightening sign of more to come. While FOX can do a 24/7 biased reporting on behalf of the Republican Party, those who want to voice opinions other than theirs are silenced. This is simply not democracy. Yes, Keith Olbermann is at times emotional, and we know that. But that is what makes his show special. He is not afraid to speak up. Where would the investigation of Palin go without those voices? PLEASE call or write to MSNBC/NBC.

Ask for “Viewers Service Comment Line.” A recording will come on, and you can read your complaint.

If you avoid your true emotions (mad, angry, insane, etc.) and remain calm, you’ll be heard.