Month: September 2008

Questions about Palin’s ability to take over as commander-in-chief, should something happen to McCain, have made McCain’s age a legitimate concern. Politico digs into the data:

…for a man who has lived 72 years and 67 days (McCain’s age on Election Day this year), there is between a 14.2 and 15.1 percent chance of dying before Inauguration Day 2013, according to the Social Security Administration’s 2004 actuarial tables and the authoritative 2001 mortality statistics assembled by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Going by the Social Security Administration’s tables, that’s nearly ten times the likelihood that a man aged 47 years and 92 days (Barack Obama’s age on Election Day this year) will die before Jan. 20, 2013.

… that you just have to read Hugh Hewitt:

The outpouring of supportive, favorable and emotional e-mails continues and I will again limit today’s callers to women who are moved by Governor Palin’s nomination.  This is an unprecedented reaction, and MSM’s ideological blinkers are blinding them to the powerful effect of Governor Palin’s life story and her appearance Friday, an effect that has been increased by the weekend smearing by Obamians with blogs and their Beltway-Manhattan media elite allies.

The MSM has blinkers but he is "limiting today’s callers to women who are moved by Governor Palin’s nomination." He has a series of posts on the "Palin breakout". I don’t doubt that she is becoming a phenom among the Christianists. If Sarah Palin did not exist, Stephen Colbert would have to invent her.  Tonight is going to be amazing theater. She will rock the house, and there will be a tsunami of Republicans claiming she stole the night and rescued the convention. And then she will become the entire story, eclipsing McCain, as she already has. And then … the first actual press conference.

Everything you need to know here. (Hat tip: Ben.)

It’s pretty amazing that Ben Smith’s story that Sarah Palin actually sat in a church where a preacher declared that terrorist murders of Jews represent God’s judgment against Jews for resisting Jesus last August 17, has been up for half a day, and no one is writing about it on the right and center-right. (If you find something I missed, let me know.)

There has been no mention of this at Instapundit, The Corner, or The Weekly Standard. Not even concern? More to the point: nothing from the ADL. I mean they jumped down Joe Klein’s throat – but they are staying mum on David Brickner and the vice-presidential nominee? I mean they even have a report on Brickner and Jews for Jesus that describes the group thus:

Targeting Jews for Conversion with Subterfuge and Deception.

But last night Joe Lieberman vouched for Palin; and yesterday huddled with her. What gives?

From the AP:

A lawyer hired to defend Sarah Palin in an ethics investigation said Tuesday he is representing Palin both personally and in her official capacity as governor… Lawyers aren’t prohibited from such dual representation, but it could cause more than just billing headaches. In representing the governor’s office, Van Flein’s allegiance is to the office itself, not to Palin personally. Depending on where the investigation leads, that could put him in a difficult situation if Palin’s interests and the interests of the public office diverge.

The last shred of an argument the McCain goons have for Palin is that she is a good government reformer. And yet:

Three times in recent years, the Arizona senator’s lists of ‘objectionable’ pork spending have included earmarks requested by his new running mate.

Sure, they vetted her.

Sarah Palin is unavailable to the press – or anyone, for that matter. She has been preparing for what should be one of the most remarkable convention nights in American history. But she did have time yesterday for one thing. After spending two weeks ago listening to a sermon about how Israelis who were murdered by Palestinian terrorists were simply enduring "God’s judgment" for not converting to Christianity, she spent yesterday huddled with AIPAC:

She spent Tuesday in her hotel suite meeting with campaign aides and working on her speech. She had private sessions with Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and members of the pro-Israel group AIPAC, said people familiar with her schedule. An AIPAC spokesman said Gov. Palin told its members she would "work to expand and deepen the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Israel."

AIPAC. First things first, I guess.

Kristol, Beck, Barnes.

Read the whole thing:

McCain’s selection of [Palin] is applied McCainism — a visceral judgment by one who is confidently righteous. But the viscera are not the seat of wisdom… Many cultural conservatives, who are much of the GOP’s base, consider McCain’s adherence to their persuasion perfunctory. By his selection of Palin, he got the enthusiasm of the base. But what has he got in Palin? In coming days he and we will learn from a stern teacher, experience.

That’s what they’re claiming:

The ultra-conservative governor’s announcement about her daughter’s pregnancy came hours after The ENQUIRER informed her representatives and family members of Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol’s child, that we were aware of the pregnancy and were going to break the news. In a preemptive strike Palin released the news, creating political shockwaves.

I note one thing. That Monday statement about the Bristol pregnancy was not issued by the McCain campaign. It came straight from the Palin family. I wonder how much control the McCain camp has over that Alaskan clan. And what else is about to hit the fan.