The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Worlds collide

Re: Worlds collide

zacksback — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:07:33 -0000

I'm an Obama supporter, but a few women in my family (all senior citizens) supported Hillary. My mom switched to Obama immediately and the others waited for his VP pick -- they were all IMMENSELY pleased with Biden and will vote Obama in November.

They are all shocked at the assumption that, as Hillary supporters, they will now switch to McCain. They supported Hillary based on her policy positions and a personal POV that she had more experience than Obama (fair 'nuf). They are incredibly INSULTED that the Republicans believe that the only reason they supported HRC is that she shares reproductive equipment with them, and that they can toss out a completely unqualified beauty queen and the women of America will go: "Look! Breasts Like Me!" and run en masse to join the McCain campaign.

Re: Worlds collide

Reality Man — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:17:26 -0000

"Can't argue with how he presents to you, but if I'm not mistaken, when he released his medical records independent doctors said he had the health of a man nearly ten years younger than his actual age.

Posted by Asher | August 29, 2008 9:04 PM"

His medical history was thousands of pages long and they only let the press look at it for a couple of hours and wouldn't let them keep the couples. Doesn't exactly sound healthy to me. Hell, he ended up looking older than the elder Bush when they met on the campaign trail.

This can easily turn into charismatic and competent vs. cranky and clueless.

Re: Worlds collide

Karl Steel — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:57:08 -0000

when he released his medical records independent doctors said he had the health of a man nearly ten years younger than his actual age.

Which release are you talking about? The 1999 or 2008 release? I can't find what you're referencing, off hand.

Sure, he might be short and look like an old man. But you have to weigh that against the fact that he takes sleeping pills, tends to flub facts, and is notoriously short tempered. One sort of balances out the other.

Re: Worlds collide

Tinare — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:06:01 -0000

Given his age and multiple cancer scares, I doubt any life insurance company is going to consider him "low risk" so, yes, this is dangerous.

Re: Worlds collide

Liza — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:21:01 -0000

Asher, it doesn't matter if McCain has the internals of a newborn (which he doesn't.) He has very wrinkled skin, he's had skin cancer on his face, he had thin white hair, he's balding, and he's overweight. He looks like an old man.

Yeah, I know, he was a POW.

Re: Worlds collide

Asher — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:04:17 -0000

I feel compelled to state the obvious, for some reason. McCain is 72 years old and he does not present as a physically fit over 70 male who looks young for his age.

Can't argue with how he presents to you, but if I'm not mistaken, when he released his medical records independent doctors said he had the health of a man nearly ten years younger than his actual age.

Re: Worlds collide

lfo — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:57:21 -0000

the biggest upside to the wall to wall covering of Palin: 40 million people watched the Obama speech last night. The commentary about it was immediately great. By this morning and tonight it would have been---it was not really that good etc etc. By the sunday shows it would have been seen as "bad for Obama' as everything always is by the MSM. But now because we are focusing on her those 40 million people will be left to form their own opinions about Obama which I say is great news for america. Instead of having the pundits interfere we have voters thinking for themselves. And---since McCain met her only ONCE before offering her the job I guess this is going to be a great partnership ah?

Re: Worlds collide

eric k — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:54:56 -0000

I'm thinking she won't make it through October, stepping down "for the good of the party" obstensibly it will be over one the the scandals, but the timing will be shortly after she is a disaster in the debate vs Biden.

This is Miers all over.

Re: Worlds collide

Joe Klein's conscience — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:45:17 -0000

For instance, I hear now the trooper she tried to fire who tazed his 11-year-old son did so on the test setting because the son begged him to, wanting to know what it felt like. I'd have done the same thing at that age. And Palin's *father* was also part of the "illegal moose kill". So basically, they used entirely trumped-up allegations to try to settle a family score using the governor's power. And there are other mini-scandals involving corruption constantly leaking out.

The guy that got fired was pretty popular. The guy that she had replace him(meaning the head of the state troopers) has, in the past, had various charges of sexual harassment leveled against him. He resigned not too long after taking the job. Even though her ex-brother in law might have been a creep, he wasn't convicted of any crimes, so I am not sure he could be fired that easily.

Re: Worlds collide

Joe Klein's conscience — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:41:06 -0000

I just watched Chris Matthews correct Pat Buchanan who kept calling Sarah Palin--a 44-year old woman--"gal." Buchanan called her this just as he was claiming she was feminist.

Which is funny because Palin supported Buchanan in 2000.

Re: Worlds collide

Adam — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:28:26 -0000

The more we hear about this pick, the worse and worse it looks. Did he really do *any* research or vetting at all? I mean, seriously?

I really can't believe any serious amount of research wouldn't have instantly disqualified her. How could he have possibly made a pick like this? What the hell was he thinking? Was he thinking at all?

Re: Worlds collide

Mike D — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:27:45 -0000

Speaking of (psuedo) typos, why the apstrophe in "World's" in the title of the post?

Re: Worlds collide

Grover — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:27:16 -0000

If this pick doesn't prove to you McCain lacks the judgment to be president, then you probably voted for Bush in 2004. Todd says in the clip that veeps are only important on three days, apparently the day they're chosen being one of those days. Todd says this was a good day for McCain. I agree McCain knocked Obama off as the top story and everyone's chattering about McCain/Palin. But I think only the next two or three weeks will tell whether that is, in fact, a good thing.

Re: Worlds collide

Deborah — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:22:29 -0000

The lack of vetting is looking more and more like a potential explosion. From appearance on the national scene to accepting the nomination in under a week--what's out there? (Troopergate is not likely to hurt in its current incarnation, ie "What person wouldn't do everything they could for a relative and children in this situation? We should do it for everyone! But you can't ignore your own nephew being tazered because you happen to be governor." If the narrative becomes that he's a decent guy and his ex lied and lied, that'll be different--but who wants to lead that charge? The potential blowback is huge.)

People have sounded off on her electability, but almost zilch on what she would do after being elected. (I'm guessing they may be headed toward energy on this, but who knows?) Already she's joined McCain in flipflopping (was for the bridge to nowhere until Alaska had to pay for it), and I suspect there just isn't enough substance there to stand up to lengthy interrogation from journalists, pundits, and voters.

But let those 3 groups handle it; Barack and Joe need to focus on McCain. The attacks on Palin already have an elitist tinge, with the "ha ha Miss Congeniality who gave her kids quirky names and hunts moose" stuff.

I will note that my dream veep, Joe L, would have cemented the Republican ticket of old guys from the last century. She does impact a bit on the "we are the party of the future" framing.

Re: Worlds collide

Liza — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:56:02 -0000

I feel compelled to state the obvious, for some reason. McCain is 72 years old and he does not present as a physically fit over 70 male who looks young for his age. It should be very clear that McCain's VP will be scrutinized as someone who has a better than average chance of assuming the presidency. McCain may very well live to be 90 or more, but perception is everything.

This woman may perhaps be the GOP gift to the religious right to make sure they turn out to vote Republican in November. Who knows?

But the part that I cannot begin to understand is how in the blazes does the GOP expect to deal with the fact that they cannot even pretend that this woman could be the most powerful leader in the world if something were to happen to McCain?

It is almost surreal, it is just so hard to believe.

Re: Worlds collide

SeanH — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:49:05 -0000

This is unrelated to Palin, but Time magazine's reporting that they asked McCain about not wanting to leave Iraq until it was a stable, peaceful country and he actually told them, "Its a peaceful and stable country now."

Re: Worlds collide

Beth in VA — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:35:54 -0000

Asher: Neither Sebelius nor Kaine were chosen. As as noted here at Raising Kaine Kaine would have been criticized for having a weak resume.

It bothers me that McCain would choose someone so utterly weak for the position of veep. We need serious grown-ups who have demonstrated good judgment, intelligence, and interest in foreign affairs to run our country.

Man, not to mention the scandal things with her. Clearly that would have disqualified anyone on the Obama vetting list!

Re: Worlds collide

Asher — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:27:06 -0000

What makes her any more of a gimmick than Sebelius or Kaine would have been? The fact that she's a woman? The fact that Alaska's a little more exotic than Kansas or Virginia? Yeah, it is weird that he hardly knows her. But I think if anything, that just gives us some insight into his decision-making process (apparently very impulsive); it doesn't really say anything about the pick itself.