.

[Keystone Phil]

We don't argue that you can't criticize Palin because she's a woman. I'm tired of hearing about how smart and fair you are when you use stuff like this.

The woman thing is the McCain campaign today and their surrogates. Carly Fiorina had a stupid comment about it. No one here is doing it, at least, no one's doing it that I've cared about.

No, they didn't say that you can't criticize her. Again, you're bending what is being said.

[Brittain33]

Certainly Palin has been held to a double standard that would not be applied to a male. 

I'm going to let this statement stand on its own, because the rejoinder is too obvious.

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Which basically no one has been saying. I brought it up as something I thought some conservative independents might feel, and that's been borne out anecdotally by random mother chat. I didn't say it, I don't think anyone else did, and for damn sure no Democrat or Democratic surrogate said anything like that.

This defense line IS Harriet Miers 2.0.

[Brittain33]

No, they didn't say that you can't criticize her. Again, you're bending what is being said.

If people criticize her on substantive grounds, and then Fiorina and Rosario Marin come out and say she's a being attacked because of sexism, that IS saying you can't criticize her because she's a woman. No one would come out and say that, because it sounds as stupid as it is. The whole point is to bully people into laying off of her. It's not going to work, but I don't think they're thinking clearly about this so much as trying any kind of defense they can to stall until she speaks herself tonight and changes the subject.

[HardRCafé]

Specifically, the charges that she is somehow neglecting her family and a down syndrome baby by trying to further her own career.  Because a woman should take care of the family first, hur hur hur.

Which basically no one has been saying. I brought it up as something I thought some conservative independents might feel, and that's been borne out anecdotally by random mother chat. I didn't say it, I don't think anyone else did, and for damn sure no Democrat or Democratic surrogate said anything like that.

I'll ask again:  are you honest about anything any more?  Sally Quinn?  Andrea Mitchell?  The press this week is lousy with example after example.  You've managed to miss all of them?

[Keystone Phil]

No, they didn't say that you can't criticize her. Again, you're bending what is being said.

If people criticize her on substantive grounds, and then Fiorina and Rosario Marin come out and say she's a being attacked because of sexism, that IS saying you can't criticize her because she's a woman. No one would come out and say that, because it sounds as stupid as it is. The whole point is to bully people into laying off of her. It's not going to work, but I don't think they're thinking clearly about this so much as trying any kind of defense they can to stall until she speaks herself tonight and changes the subject.

It depends on what these "substantic" attacks are. Like is she really Pro Woman as a Pro Lifer?

[Brittain33]

Sally Quinn?  Andrea Mitchell?  The press this week is lousy with example after example.  You've managed to miss all of them?

I don't watch tv news. I don't know what the hell reporters say, but whatever it was, Andrea Mitchell is not a spokeswoman for the Democratic Party and was likely bringing it up the same way I did, as in, "would anyone else think that?"

Anyway, if you have a link to someone on tv attacking Sarah Palin for neglecting Trig by running for office, put it up. If it's a respected journalist or someone known to be affiliated with Obama, even better.

[Brittain33]

It depends on what these "substantic" attacks are. Like is she really Pro Woman as a Pro Lifer?

I posted the body of this elsewhere, but the meat is in the last paragraph.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/212890.php

[Torie]

If team McCain correographed all of this, they are freaking geniuses. Getting the press hounds to chase down this rogue hare is just what the doctor ordered.

[Brittain33]

If team McCain correographed all of this, they are freaking geniuses. Getting the press hounds to chase down this rogue hare is just what the doctor ordered.

I would hope TPM is only claiming they choreographed Johnston's arrival in MSP, and not the whole announcement!

[cinyc]

There have been natural disasters under Palin's tenure - at a minimum,  river flooding in the Fairbanks area, a fire on the Kenai Peninsula and a Volcano Eruption in the Aleutians.  Count the number of state agencies involved in the recent Chena River Flood.  Hint: The Alaska Army National Guard was there  (along with the Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and Alaska Homeland Security... among many others).

Come on, though. Do you think Palin was hands on in helping to put out that fire in the Kenai Peninsula as Commander of the Alaska National Guard? I'm sure she got some reports from them, that's great, but do people really think that hearing "there's a fire" "we're fighting it" "fire's out" is the kind of standard that is so awesomely executive that it outweighs Barack Obama, say, meeting with foreign leaders?

Meeting with foreign leaders during a political campaign?  Please.  Palin can have a magical mystery tour of Europe, too.  Big deal.

Was Palin hands on putting out a fire?  No. That's stupid - she's not a firefighter.  But from what I understand, the Alaska Department of Forestry - a state agency - was responsible for coordinating the firefighting.  And I'm sure it was a multi-agency effort - state, local and federal forces fighting a natural disaster.  Just like Chena River flood - relief efforts seem to have been headed by the North Star-Fairbanks Borough, but the state pitched in.  Sarah Palin was ultimately responsible for the state's efforts - and signed a disaster relief declaration.  That's one more disaster relief declaration than Obama, Biden and McCain have signed - combined.

Keep moving the goalposts and underestimate Sarah Palin at your own risk.

[MatthewZD]

Has anyone tried to think about the government experience of Obama and Palin in private sector terms?  I've been thinking about it a bit and I'm not 100% satisfied with the analogy, but this is one way of looking at it. 

One spent 6 years managing a small business and the last nearly two years as the district manager of a small branch of a larger business.  During that capacity this person had hands-on experience in balancing budgets, making decisions, negotiating and signing contracts to expand the business, and delegating authority to various members of her staff.

One was a human relations rep before becoming a consultant for small local branches for 7 years and then for the larger business for most of the last 4 years.  During this capacity this person attended numerous meetings in which the business practices were discussed with other consultants before reaching a group decision.

Now, which of the two would be the best person to be groomed to be the CEO?