Sarah Palin admits her defeat, but don't write off the GOP yet

So, Sarah Palin is going to spend her time with "God, family and country" over the next few years. After "much prayer and serious consideration" she won't be running for President. Cynics might say that this is less to do with divine intervention and more to do with the fact that she's no longer the poster girl of the batty American right. She knows she would not win the nomination against Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann.

I suspect she has her eye on the nomination in 2016, potentially slugging it out for the White House against Hillary Clinton.

Some have suggested that this is her acknowledging that Obama is home and dry for next year. Anyone making that assumption is really misguided. Remember George H W Bush, not a bad President as Republicans go, had 91% approval ratings after the Gulf War - and then lost badly to Bill Clinton just 18 months later. I will not obsess on the fact that the defeat was down to a very publicly broken pledge......especially as it was really about the economy.

If Obama can't provide more jobs, or successfully pin the blame on the Republicans, where it lies, for refusing to even discuss his jobs package, he could be toast. And although Palin has gone, there are plenty nasty characters still in the race for the GOP nomination.

Take Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, for example. This is the guy who wanted every woman going for an abortion to be forced to see a can picture and listen to the foetal heartbeat. That is an unspeakable cruelty to foist on someone who is already going through a trauma.

Michele Bachmann doesn't think Carbon Dioxide does any harm, she thinks gay marriage is the biggest and worst evil imaginable and she thinks evolution is just an interesting theory.

And Mitt Romney becomes more socially and politically conservative with each passing day.

There's a long way to go until the elections next year - and Obama needs all the help he can get to assure a second term. It's way too early to write off the GOP.

A must read post on Gabrielle Giffords and Gun Culture

I've already had my say on how I feel that yesterday's awful events in Arizona should make politicians on both sides of the Atlantic think again when they use, or just as importantly, fail to condemn the use of violent metaphors in political debate.

Thanks to my friend Maria Wolters on Twitter, who pointed me in the direction of this moving and wise post from one of Gabrielle Giffords' constituents, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Arizona, who lives about 5 miles away from where the shooting took place. If you do nothing else today, please read it. In a relatively short article, he describes:

• his emotions while watching the events unfold, including the terror at thinking that some friends of his might have been caught up in it
• the appalling racism that is never far from the surface in Arizona which is so bad he doesn't feel that he wants to raise a family in that state
• a snapshot of the intimidating gun culture there
• an account of an intolerant, febrile and deeply unpleasant political climate
• a warm appreciation of an excellent Congresswoman

A friend on Facebook last night described a trip to a Wal-Mart in Arizona, where the guns were casually piled up for sale next to the fruit and veg, and anyone over 18 could buy one. I'd be terrified to go out if I lived there, I think.

If you have time, you might also want to read the previous post on his blog, which says that Arizona has cut funding for state funded transplant operations, giving a death sentence to people on low incomes who need such surgery.

Ted's blog post on yesterday's events aptly describes the elements in the crucible which ultimately led to 20 families being thrown into absolute turmoil. The list of people killed is here. It's so heartbreaking, but especially so that a 9 year old with a new and blossoming interest in politics and citizenship, taken along by her neighbour because they thought she would enjoy it, was caught up in it all.  Being taken along to meet a very positive role model for public service might have inspired  her on a path to achieve great things. It's so awful that she won't get that chance.

Joe Lieberman polishes his crystal ball

Senator Joe Lieberman, the guy who would have been Al Gore's VP had a few votes in Florida gone the other way, and who is now a McCain supporter, has been showing off some hitherto hidden talents - as fortune teller. He has confidently predicted that John McCain will live until he's 85 years old.

It's a sign that the McCain camp are seeing people turn away from them in their millions, as evidenced by virtually all the polls, in part at least because of concerns about Sarah Palin being that heartbeat away from the Presidency.

I am starting to feel a bit more confident that McCain is going to have a long retirement to leisurely repent his hasty choice of Palin as running mate.

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Palin spends $2700 a day on clothes............

While millions of Americans are struggling with the economic downturn and wondering if their jobs will survive, Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been splashing the cash on clothes at the expense of the Republican National Committee and a Republican consultant. We have known her for some 55 days now and in that time $150,000 has been spent on clothes for her campaign appearances.

Apparently she hasn't worn the same outfit twice.

I'm sure hockey moms all across America will feel that the carefully crafted "I'm Just Like You" image will be wearing a bit thin.

Anyway, she has to give all the clothes to charity after the election or she'll have to pay tax on their value - anyone up for a shopping weekend in Anchorage?

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Palin as President

Thanks to LibCync for finding this wee gem - you just wave your mouse around and click. I liked the names and the bridge best.

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How low can you go, Sarah Palin?

Well, it was bound to happen, wasn't it. The McCain/Palin Campaign is in freefall after McCain appointed himself saviour of the global economy and then botched it by failing to ensure that his own party backed the bailout early last week. Sarah Palin herself hasn't helped with her performances in tv interviews which have raised concerns about her ability to mind the shop if McCain were incapacitated for some reason.

You would have hoped that they would have stuck to the issues rather than play dirty, but this is the US Republicans we're talking about.

Sarah Palin has now started throwing accusations about former associates of Obama.

Sadly, we can assume that this sort of mud-slinging will only continue as the McCain/Palin bandwagon sinks in the polls.

A Sarah Palin related bit of fun

Just in case you were looking for a new way to waste a minute or two on the internet, with thanks to the Yorksher Gob and Will Howells who gave the link to her, I present the Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator.

Given the rather obscure names she has given to her children, Track, Bristol (for a girl!) and Trig - in that context, Willow and Piper are almost conventional - this gives a suggestion of your name, should you have been unfortunate enough to have her as your mother. I came out as Plank Castle Palin.

Have fun!

Pipeline though Alaska God's Will - Palin

Look at this article from the New York Times

Oh dear.

This, I think, was the worst part......

"Among other things, she encouraged the group of young church leaders to pray that “God’s will” be done in bringing about the construction of a big pipeline in the state, and suggested her work as governor would be hampered “if the people of Alaska’s heart isn’t right with God.”

So, if she should bring about the destruction of civilisation as we know it in some misguided religion motivated war, she has the best excuse ever - it's all the fault of heathens like me for not being right with God.

Scary stuff.

I once read a book by Chuck Colson, an adviser to Nixon who ended up in jail and subsequently found God. In it, he describes a situation where a fundamentalist Christian President interprets all sorts of events in the Middle East as a sign that the day of judgment is coming and that completely coloured his judgement and actions. Let's hope we don't have to ever find that one coming true.

More about Sarah Palin

This profile on Sarah Palin, from a Guardian journalist who has done some digging in Alaska. He makes the point that it's religion, not politics that makes her tick, finds out how she deals with people who disagree with her and there's even an evaluation of a shootout with Putin which should please Duncan Borrowman.

Duncan Borrowman wants to start World War Three

I have to say that I am very impressed that a Bexley boy knows how to spell teuchter. Then again, he is married to a lovely Scottish lady, but at least he has taken note of these things.

His suggestion that Putin should invade Alaska to test her mettle as Commander in Chief of the Alaskan National Guard did make me laugh. It is perhaps going a little far to start World War Three just to discredit a political rival, but I understand the sentiment.

This picture shows just what the Russian Army would be facing.....

Alaska

I'm not about to say one word in favour of Sarah Palin - she is a christian fundamentalist, pro life person who I do not want to see gain the vice presidency or presidency of the US, or hold any other public office, for that matter.

I am, however, as someone who hails from the Highlands, a bit put out by the "she can't run anything cos she comes from a place where there are more caribou than people" tendency. As any of the Liberal Democrats who represent the Highlands will tell you, it's wonderful to be there, but life in the rural wilds has its unique challenges.

How do you deliver appropriate healthcare to someone who lives in rural Sutherland, for example?

For a long time when I was growing up, Wick didn't have a swimming pool and we had to go to Aberdeen, and after, thankfully, Inverness, to do a decent shopping.

I think there are similarities between the Highlands of Scotland and Alaska.

There are huge numbers of reasons to not want to vote for Sarah Palin, but the fact that she is Governor of a rural area is not one of them.

The fact that she doesn't seem to give a damn about oil exploration up there is a good one, though, and so is her proud membership of the NRA.

Just don't ever say governance of rural areas is easy.

John McCain - what were you thinking?

I'd never heard of Sarah Palin until yesterday. All I really know is that she's Governor of Alaska, has been for about a year and a half, is under investigation for trying to get her ex brother in law fired from his State trooper job and that she's a "hockey mom" whatever that is.

I'm not really sure what was in John McCain's mind when he picked her to be his running mate, or why on earth she accepted. I would have thought that the best strategic thing for her career development would have been for her to give a barn storming Convention speech, kind of like the one Obama gave in 2004, and then for her to be considered for higher office in 4 years' time.

It's a shame to see a talented young politician - and to have beaten a Republican incumbent in the primaries in 06 she must have something about her - being forced forward ahead of her time. Instead, in a year or so we will have forgotten who she is as I think McCain has now seriously jeopardised his chances of winning in November.

Joe Biden is an experienced, competent man that it's easy to see assumimg the presidency if you had to. He is a safe pair of hands who is unlikely to be called upon. The opposite is true with Sarah Palin - let's face it, McCain is 72 and has had health scares.

This is not a time for the Democrats to get complacent though - this is, after all, the country that elected Dan Quayle as Veep in 1988.