Alaskan blogger AKMuckraker has been doing some excellent blogging about Sarah Palin from her home state. In this post, she describes a big anti-Palin, pro-Obama rally that materialized with very little pre-planning in Anchorage, on Sunday. (Hat-tip Ruth B.)
AKM wrote:
- Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn’t honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn’t happen here.
In that post she also has a video clip taken by (a supportive) someone driving by the demonstration, which gives a good idea of its size and energy, and a number of still photos from it.
In other recent posts AKM has been delving into various aspects of Palin’s record in the state.
I have to confess that viewing the video clip made me nostalgic for all those long weeks and weeks and weeks I would stand out on the sidewalk waving my antiwar sign. Maybe it’s time to get back onto the streets and do a bit more “public witnessing” again.
Please forward this exciting news to the Obama campaign, and to media sources. THIS EVENT HAS NOT BEEN PUBLICIZED. THANKS.
It is fantastic to read this. I’m so stunned by the McCain campaign’s success in shutting down the media’s vetting of Sarah Palin. She’s given only ONE serious interview with only 50 days left till 11/4 yet any negative comment is immediate labeled as sexist or deliberate left wing smear tactics. It’s so unbelievable to me that more people are not unnerved by that fact alone…never mind foreign policy, ecomony reform, government reform, separation of church and state, abortion rights, etc. How can the American public trust that she can handle the monumental challenges we face here at home and with other world leaders if she can’t handle Anderson Cooper or Bill O’Reilly?
I wonder how they will…ahem…reform the public opinion about this. 🙂 Thanks again.
Actually, Tracie, the press have been quite good overall on the Palin issue. Today one of the secretaries in our Pittsburgh office told me that in today’s Post Gazette there was a picture of Palin with a visibly lengthening nose, with the label Bridge to Nowhere. I tried to find it online, but did not succeed, and don’t have time for a lengthy search.
There has been A LOT of negative press on her, both in the news and the editorial/op ed pages. The NYT had an editorial a few days ago that bordered on scathing.
That is the one hope I am clinging to, because shockingly a lot of people I would expect to know better actually felt reassured about her after that amateurish, dishonest, contentless interview – or as the interviewer called it the “blizzard of words”. If dyed-in-the-wool Democrats who are reasonably politically astute had that positive a reaction, imagine how elated the mindless masses must be!
For another blog by an Alaskan, I suggest Alaska Real: http://alaskareal.blogspot.com/
It is by an Alaska Native. Her frequent complaint about Palin is that she has NO RECORD on Alaska Native issues. And Alaska Natives make up a surprisingly large percentage of the population. (I’m going to say over 10%, but I can’t remember exactly.)
Palin’s lack of interest and attention to her constituents, who have significant poverty and other issues, is appalling!
Palin has said that one of her biggest priorties when getting in office is to help special needs
children, and I think that’s great. But why not
help ALL children as they all need to be helped?
Judy, her zeal for helping special needs children is very recently acquired. I believe it was this year that she vetoed legislation allotting money for – if I recall accurately – special education. I could be wrong on the details, and can look it up when I have more time.
I knew when McCain named Palin as his VP choice that there was something fishy going on. If you take a serious look at how he has run his campaign, the logical conclusion is that something was going to be wrong with this scenario. The play by play and blow by blow is amazing. This woman has a lot of negative baggage and there is no way McCain knew the full extent of the damage he would incur by nominating her to his ticket. The fact that she even agreed to take him up on it was weired because who IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would want to be thrown into this campaign without a thorough vetting and confidence of their abilities to handle these complex issues needed to keep our country sound, unless they are vindictive, selfish and ruthless themselves. Palin has got to know that she is not even remotely qualified and that it could endanger the people of this nation to be playing house. That in and of itself was a RED FLAG in my opinion. Not to mention that her child has a handicap which requires the constant attention from his mother. Dad is OK but most mothers I know would not leave it up to ANYBODY to initially care for their child in that situation until they are well versed in the type of care the child needs and that takes a lot of time and attention, even the dad no matter how good he is, could trump a moms true concern because that is just plain old motherly instinct. Those decisions always take time to work out because MOM would want to be absolutely sure before she released her time from her child, right? I’m no expert but I’ve worked a number of years with down syndrome people and it mandates that you be there almost all the time, especially for a baby (that is, if you are a truly concerned parent). It is a very peculiar move on her part. Her snap decision to be McCain’s running-mate “WITHOUT BLINKING”, makes me wonder about her commitment to that child, REALLY! And goes to ponder what kind of person she really is. That in no way is a means to diminish her as a mom but with all the other dirt behind it, WOW! To make a decision to leave your child so quickly is strange, to me anyway. So far she has told the truth about little. She was quoted in a restaurant in Alaska after Obama’s primary win by a waitress as saying and I quote ” So, Sambo beat the Bitch!” I am Black and in my world that is a racist slur which is commonly stated by, racist! Nobody has to fill in the blanks for me on that one. It is very scary that 1/2 of our countries citizens would fall so hard for someone they don’t really know and on top of all the juicy negative press, they seem to be still wallowing in their own slimy perceptions, ready to give Palin and McCain the reigns so our country can be flattened under their reckless control. I don’t care what you feel about Obama, this is the time in which we either see our country go down in flames or we see it begin to regain it’s composure. Electing Bush to office twice blew my mind. Electing McCain/Palin after all that’s happened will cause my head to virtually EXPLODE! Americans, we tout to the rest of the world how smart we are, how compassionate we are, how giving we are and how free we are. If the McCain/Palin ticket is successful we will be the laughing stock of the world and it is already taking shape. The international community is sitting back watching this side show and they are definitely contemplating their next move. They already see that we are dumb enough to allow people into our country while refusing to close and police our own borders. They see our stupidity in allowing people to go to flight schools to learn how to fly a plane without any concern to learn to land one and so on and so on and so on. We need to be pounding on the media at this point. The MSM. What we have here is borderline treason by John McCain and it must be stopped at all cost. Use your vote if not for yourself, use it for your children. There are two people running for POTUS. One of them has sold his soul to the DEVIL.
Shirin, I read last week that her veto of the special education was a case of the state budget money being shifted into a more appropriate budget. I can’t remember the details or where I read it, but it seemed like a reasonable explanation. She’s got a lot of faults, as we’re seeing now, but she’s not Satan with lipstick.
I equate her very Bush like quotes about “not blinking” as indicative of a person who does not consider multiple angles and alternate views before acting. We sure don’t need another “gut” driven, impulsive person a heartbeat away from the presidency. That aspect of her character, combined with proximity to the “hot button” (as in nuclear) and her quotes regarding the Iraq War being a “task from God” make her unsuitable as a candidate for vice president. Well, that and her lack of knowledge, experience and her stated views regarding our imperiled climate. Also, I think the person who commented about Palin’s record regarding Native concerns makes a very good point and also reveals something of her character.
Please, people of Alaska, do not take this as an insult:
It would seem to me, that Palin’s rise to power occured in the voters blindspot…basically, had the people of Alaska ALL voted and participated, maybe she would not be dog-catcher, let alone Governor.
And yet, this is a systemic problem in all states…the lack of participation from most citizens…thankfully there are huge voter reg drives, but, we also need to get current voters to get their heads out of the sand and pay attention.
Obama can bring change…and the change we need, but only if WE change…
If Americans continue ignore their duty, their right to vote we are all in trouble.
If for no other reason than save the future of this great nation, we must vote Barack into office.
Excellent artcle and comments. McCain has changed into a big liar adn Palin–yikes. We want these two bozos to run OUR country????
To update my previous post about Alaska Natives, that population makes up almost TWENTY PERCENT of Alaskans, according to the blog I cited.
Here is the topic of the most recent post:
“Everyone in Adak is leaving. The village cannot afford to pay its gas bill, and they have been cut off. Their numbers have already been cut in half in recent years, but gas prices will force them all to leave.”
How sad!
“there is no way McCain knew the full extent of the damage he would incur by nominating her to his ticket.”
It is not clear that it was McCain’s decision. The word is that he wanted Lieberman (another one that sends a shudder down my spine), but Dodd and others among the uber “Christian” fanatics made choosing Palin a condition of their support. I don’t know that for a fact but it is plausible.
“The fact that she even agreed to take him up on it was weired because who IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would want to be thrown into this campaign without a thorough vetting and confidence of their abilities to handle these complex issues needed to keep our country sound”
A narcissist. One of the key signs of a narcissistic personality is grandiosity.
“unless they are vindictive, selfish and ruthless themselves.”
Is there any doubt about that? And by the way, that is another sign of a narcissistic personality.
“Palin has got to know that she is not even remotely qualified and that it could endanger the people of this nation to be playing house.”
If she is a narcissistic personality, as I strongly suspect she is, then she either thinks she is qualified (grandiosity – remember?) or she doesn’t care because she is focused solely on her own aggrandizement – another sign of narcissistic personality.
As for the “Sambo” remark, that is not only a terribly racist remark, it is also sexist. The sexism certainly fits given her stance on women’s issues, including reproductive rights, not to mention the fact that during her term as mayor rape victims in Wasilla were billed for their own forensic exams. However, there is no firm evidence that the story is true, and therefore I remain somewhat skeptical about it.
I agree that it is unconscionable that she is willing to commit to the demanding schedule of a presidential campaign, not to mention one of the most demanding jobs on earth when she has a new baby with a serious developmental disability. That baby needs both parents as full time as possible, particularly during the critical first months and years.
And then there is the little matter of her pregnant 17 year old. A child about to give birth to a baby that she will attempt to raise needs a great deal of time and care from her mother for both practical and emotional support throughout the rest of the pregnancy, and after the baby is born. And when a teenage child becomes pregnant it is, more often than not, a cry for help, a sign of a need for attention, which is another sign that she really needs her mother.
But then, this is a “mother” who cares so much about following her ambitions that she went back to work three days after giving birth to a baby with Down Syndrome – a disorder that carries with it numerous potentially severe physical as well as mental problems. You could not tear me away from a perfectly normal, healthy days-old baby, let alone one that is severely disabled. I have talked to a lot of women after they come back from 12 weeks maternity leave, and most are upset at leaving their babies, and would take at least a year off if they could. Yet this woman who touts her “small town values” (whatever THAT is), and “family values” cannot spend more than three days with a baby who needs her far more than a normal, healthy baby needs its mother.
“her veto of the special education was a case of the state budget money being shifted into a more appropriate budget.”
As I said, her deep concern for special needs children is a very recent acquisition. The special needs kids of Alaska were certainly not a big priority with her, were they?
“this is a systemic problem in all states…the lack of participation from most citizens”
I beg to disagree. The last thing this country needs is more uninformed, shallow-minded, irresponsible voters. I would rather see fewer well-informed people voting than encourage more voters who do not have a clue.
The most dangerous thing in the United States is the electorate.
For one to be diagnosed with a narcissistic personality disorder, specific criteria must be identified via the DSM IV. Typically, one receives this diagnosis after a thorough evaluation by a qualified mental health professional. This diagnosis cannot be given by merely watching an individual on television, reading articles about that individual or making assumptions about the individual’s behavior.
While it may be our tendency to project our thoughts or beliefs onto others, when others deviate from our belief system; it is not reason to “diagnosis” them with a mental disorder.
There are many with actual mental disorders and the earlier writer’s attempt to analyze
Ms. Palin diminishes those with serious issues as well as those who work with these individuals. If you disagree with her choices, fine – but, don’t presume to have enough information to actually evaluate and diagnose. Or if you are in possession of facts beyond the scope of public information – I would suggest you are in breach of patient/client confidentiality. Which is it?
Ann, I know about the DSM IV criteria. I also know about diagnosing NPD. I also know quite a bit about NPD, and while I cannot make a definitive diagnosis based on the DSM IV criteria, it is quite possible to make a pretty good guess based on contact and observation. And in fact only a very small percentage of narcissists are ever diagnosed because only a minority of narcissists submit themselves to the kind of lengthy therapy that leads to formal diagnosis, let alone therapy – it’s inherent in the disorder to resist that kind of thing.
I did not diagnose anyone. I said I had a strong suspicion that Palin is a narcissist, and I stick by that. I am entitled to my opinion, and the last time I checked I am entitled to express my opinion in the United States, although that appears to be changing at an alarming rate.
And I do not suspect she is a narcissist because her views differ from mine. I have encountered any number of narcissists whose political and social views were quite similar to mine, and who were very intelligent, knowledgeable and interesting, and mostly likeable people. The vast majority of people whose views differ from mine do not appear to be any more narcissistic than the average person.
I suspect Palin is a narcissist only because I detect traits in her that are strong indicators of narcissism, some of which I have mentioned here.
Who is minding the Palin kids? When dad is 700 miles from home working for BP on the North Slope, or operaing his commercial fishing business, or at the governor’s office intermeddling in oficial business, is anyone at home? It is reported that the governor’s $68,000 a year Special Assistant, Ivy Frey, is referred to by some Alaska lawmakers as “the baby sitter.” This needs to be explored.
Would the Republicans have chosen a BLACK woman with five children and an unmarried pregnant teenage daughter as their VP candidate?
Kassandra, who cares as long as she was at least minimally qualified, wasn’t a religious fanatic, and told the truth more than she lied? In that case she would be a distinct improvement over Palin.
Shirin
Its Crow Pie time.
The last thing this country needs is more uninformed, shallow-minded, irresponsible voters. I would rather see fewer well-informed people voting than encourage more voters who do not have a clue.
The most dangerous thing in the United States is the electorate.
The civil rights movement and other emancipation movements spent many years overcoming the people who put property and educational qualifications in place to exclude electorates.
Ego te absolvo ab omnibus ….. three hail marys as penance.
Good news here. Zogby reports ..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/deadlineusa/2008/sep/17/uselections2008.wallstreet
“The civil rights movement and other emancipation movements spent many years overcoming the people who put property and educational qualifications in place to exclude electorates.”
I know that. The fact that I was living in the ME at the time did not keep me from following those events quite closely.
I hope you are not thinking that I am suggesting disenfranchising voters on those or any other kinds of bases! I am simply expressing my view that pushing for as many people as possible to vote, regardless of their interest in or awareness of what they are voting about is not the solution to anything.
“Its Crow Pie time.”
Not so fast, sir!! A 2% lead is not even remotely statistically significant. It is well inside the margin of error, and in any case, a single statistically non-significant poll result says exactly nothing.
I would not recommend preparing the pie now. The crow pie party, which hopefully DOES take place, will not be appropriate until November 5 at the earliest, and there is nothing nastier than stale, soggy crow pie.
Ok, Its the economy. The electorate don’t need degrees in economics to understand voting against the people who leave them the least money in their pockets.
The European papers are telling us about the latest basket cases on Wall St, and the rescue parties that are being organised.
Senator McCain’s ex advisor has his name firmly pinned to the bill that took the safety mechanisms off five years ago.
I am impressed with your knowledge of the sampling theorem.
President Bush is taking Sarah Palin to meet heads of state overseas. great news! the old guard teaching and escorting the new,untried, unqualified blank slate, someone who its claimed is the worst president in history ,helped ruin the economy ,and gave america the war in iraq , helped lose the respect of americans and the rest of the world, great teacher. !!!!!
President Bush is taking Sarah Palin to meet heads of state overseas. great news! the old guard teaching and escorting the new,untried, unqualified blank slate, someone who its claimed is the worst president in history ,helped ruin the economy ,and gave america the war in iraq , helped lose the respect of americans and the rest of the world, great teacher. !!!!!
Shirin, You missed the point. In the US, a black woman with five children, one of them an unmarried and pregnant teenage daughter, carries unspoken implications. In similar circumstances, what is allowed for a white woman would never be allowed for a black woman.
I understand that, Kassandra, but it really depends on the black woman and her family. If she is a well off, educated, well-spoken person who is married to the kids’ father, and has kids who are publicly well-behaved and reasonably well-spoken, I do not believe she will be viewed very differently from a white woman in the same situation, except by people who are looking for an excuse to look down on black people. I believe that type of person is in the minority in this country by now. If they weren’t Obama would not be such a success.
“I am impressed with your knowledge of the sampling theorem.”
Not so impressive. Statistics was a standard part of my education, and I was one of the few tutors available for those who needed help in the subject. By now I remember only generalities and a few specifics, but such things as sampling and margins of error are very basic.