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12
Live-blog: 20/20 Interview w/Charles Gibson and Gov. Sarah Palin
Filed Under Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, WH2008 | 7 Comments
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:55 pm September 12th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, WH2008 | 7 Comments
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12
Reason #54 to VOTE FOR Obama/Biden
Filed Under 57ReasonsObamaBiden, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008 | 14 Comments
Because Joe Biden knows what the Bush Doctrine is.
In fact, I trust that Joe Biden knows many other things, no doubt, that I don’t even need to know he knows – including a whole lotta stuff that I don’t know.
However, I do not trust that his GOP counterpart has even a remotely similar volume of knowledge, and certainly not any knowledge that relates to much outside of Alaska.
Now, why do I trust that Biden knows these things and why do I care? I trust because he has worked at the national level of government since he was 29 – he is now 65. I care because we’re talking about the vice president of the United States of 300 Million Americans. Just in case no one else was noticing.
See – those years since he was 29? That’s called time spent building up trust.
Obama’s 19 months on the campaign trail? That’s called time spent building up trust. His time in the Illinois state senate, and in the Chicago neighborhoods before that – time spent building up trust. With people who need people like Barack Obama – and other community organizers.
All those debates Obama and Biden have stood up and sat for, all the questions they’ve answered, all the times they faced the press or individuals, including the time I got to meet Joe Biden in a hallway at the ODP dinner and be in a room with maybe 40 people and ask questions, or sit with Barack Obama and 10 or so bloggers and look him in the face and watch him?
Scrutiny. That is what is called scrutiny.
It’s why sometimes you hear pundits talk about the value of a contested primary – like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had – because it places them all under scrutiny, it makes them work hard for our…trust.
I don’t know about you, but my trust is not something I just dole out to any candidate. I had a very tough time prioritizing my elections in the straw polls for the Democratic primary – mostly because I wasn’t fond of any of the candidates. But it was never because I didn’t trust them. It was because of the degree to which I could believe that any one of them reflected what I believe this country needs and what I want and what I like, more or less in that order and with a whole bunch of other things thrown in.
But never trust – in fact – I think the Democratic nominess this year stood head and shoulders above nearly all the GOP primary candidates when it comes to trust – Dodd, Biden, Richardson by far the most and they were all my top choices for the most part. Cinton and Obama, less so and Obama mostly because I knew so little about him – those straw polls were in the winter of 2007. Ages ago now.
But I digress.
Anybody count how many questions Joe Biden and Barack Obama have responded to during their combined years of campaigning and service to a national body of government? A body of government that requires learning about and having compassion for and balancing the needs of 300 million people every single time they vote and understanding how the decisions of a national government translate beyond that government’s borders?
This reason for why I support Obama and Biden has nothing to do with just how much Governor Palin actually knows. It has to do with the fact that I do not need to rely on the Obama campaign to tell me that they believe Biden is trustworthy and will be just fine. Why not? Because I can see for myself – I can hear for myself – I can read for myself materials and information that come directly from Joe Biden himself – gaffes and all. And if someone didn’t have gaffes and reasonsed changes of mind in 35 years of service, I’d be very wary too.
Scrutiny – it does a candidate good, and a voter even better.
On November 4, vote for Obama/Biden.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:29 pm September 12th, 2008 in 57ReasonsObamaBiden, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008 | 14 Comments
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Sep
12
Finally, NYT profiles Palestinain-Israeli Arab-Israeli Jew stories of hope
Filed Under Culture, Foreign Affairs, Israel, Jewish, leadership, Media, Politics, Predictions, Writing | Comments Off
I do feel badly that I have been so consumed by the return home, the start of school, my paid writing and the presidential elections that I’ve not taken the time and care necessary to write about the amazing people and places I visited and learned about in Israel.
One such experience revolves around the area not far from Jenin, a West Bank city profiled here in today’s New York Times (I apologize for the long excerpt but it is so perfect – this is a mirror of what I heard about from the Mayor of the Israeli Arab town West Barta’a, which is within the Israeli border but is split by the Green Line, though not the security fence, from its almost literal twin, East Barta which is in the West Bank – this Wikipedia entry does a passable job explaining the situation):
Gilboa, the Israeli region that abuts Jenin, is an unusual and unusually well-suited neighbor. Small and rural with 30,000 people, it is 40 percent Arab and 60 percent Jewish and the inhabitants have worked assiduously to create their own kind of model — of Arab-Jewish coexistence in Israel.
An example was on display last month when high school students in Gilboa took part in what may be the only one of its kind in the world — the finals for the Bible-Koran contest. Twelve teams, each made up of one Jew and one Arab, were asked questions in both Hebrew and Arabic about the holy books. A mixed team of Jewish and Muslim teachers acted as judges. An Israeli Arab was the master of ceremonies.
Isaac Herzog, Israel’s minister of social welfare, was on hand and told the audience that Gilboa was a model for Israel, that every Israeli Jew should learn the Koran, that equality of opportunity should be the norm.
The head of the Gilboa regional council, Daniel Atar, is a Jew and his deputy, Eid Salem, is an Arab. Together they have built a warm relationship with the Palestinian governor of the Jenin area, Qadoura Moussa. The three meet frequently to formulate plans for economic cooperation in agriculture and commerce. Together, they have visited the French-German border area and Switzerland, seeking models of coexistence.
“There are two kinds of peace,” Mr. Atar said one recent afternoon in his office with Mr. Salem at his side. “There is the one on a piece of paper that doesn’t stand up to any test and there is the one built from the bottom up. That is the one we are hoping to build. It is increasingly clear that if Israeli Jews cannot figure out how to have good relations with Israeli Arabs, there won’t be peace beyond the borders, either. We have a choice in Israel of making peace or living in a bunker.”
One result of the discussions among the three leaders is a decision by the Israeli authorities to allow some Israeli Arabs into Jenin on a daily basis for the first time since the intifada. It has been a delicate move made with little fanfare because in principle it is illegal to allow certain Israeli citizens to do something others may not and also because movement across the boundary invites the possibility of security breaches.
It is delicate for another reason. In recent years, Israeli Jews have grown worried that among the 1.3 million Arabs who are Israeli citizens, there is a growing radicalization and identification with the Palestinian national cause and militant Islam. Increasing their contact with the West Bank could add to those concerns.
But Israeli Arabs have relatives here and want to do business here, and the Israeli authorities say they want to encourage that as a means of helping the Palestinian economy. If Israeli Arabs are permitted to do that in large numbers, that could represent an important change in their status in the eyes of Israeli Jews — from potential fifth column to bridge builder.
The program through which I got to see Barta’a is called Givat Haviva. There should be hundreds more like it throughout the Middle East.
You want to wage war on terrorism? The future begins and ends with programs like Givat Haviva.
Intrigued about Barta’a and what the hell I’m talking about? Read this superb article by Lydia Aisenberg,which includes photos from places I visited in Barta’a and places I saw. After spending three or four hours with her, I knew that ff I’d never come back to the U.S. in 1985, I know now where I would have ended up and what I would have ended up doing.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:29 am September 12th, 2008 in Culture, Foreign Affairs, Israel, Jewish, leadership, Media, Politics, Predictions, Writing | Comments Off
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12
Will Ohio’s male GOP gatekeepers step aside for Mary Taylor?
Filed Under Campaigning, Gender, Government, leadership, Ohio, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Statehouse, Ted Strickland | 22 Comments
I suggested that this is not a happening thing in Ohio two weeks ago when I wrote about my belief that Republican candidate for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, might be seen as the face of feminism by some people, but to me, if that’s true, then you swap her out for the soul of feminism:
…does anyone honestly believe that the GOP – or anyone else – will now and forever come forward and offer leadership roles to women with the exact same modicum of experience as Palin, and ask them to bring it on and challenge and get support from those ahead of them when they do challenge?
For example:
Bobby Jindal, age 37, newly elected Louisiana governor – which women would the GOP support against him?
Kevin DeWine – would the Ohio GOP support any female Republican with the resume of a Sarah Palin against him?
John Boehner – the Ohio GOP going to support small-town Ohio female GOP mayors against him?
Or Chris Redfern, the Ohio Democratic Party chair – any women being supported right here right now for that job? I know many women who have as much experience as he has, certainly in comparison to the Palin Pick over the other VP potentials.
If Sarah can be selected over numerous individuals like Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, why not other small-town mayors with the same experience as Palin over individuals like those named above, for far less sweeping roles than vice president?
Well, now Political Science 216 has written that he thinks Ohio State Auditor Mary Taylor is going to run for governor against current Ohio Governor Ted Strickland in 2010. He points to what he sees as an obvious contrast between her tough words about Strickland’s recent budget cut announcement and the AP’s report that Senate President Bill Harris and House Speaker Jon Husted were, in PS216′s opinion “calm” and “would work with the governor to make sure the state remains fiscally sound.”
State Auditor Mary Taylor, also a Republican, had the harshest words for Strickland’s budget management, criticizing him for using short-term accounting actions instead of substantively reforming the budget. “Governor Strickland’s plan is not making real progress toward putting Ohio’s fiscal house in order,” said Taylor, who suggested conducting state agency performance audits.
Then, PS 216 writes:
It makes total sense. She was at McCain’s rollout of Sarah Palin in Dayton last week. Mary sees that Sarah Palin is 270 Electoral College votes and a heartbeat away from being President. Mary is smarter than Palin, has more experience, is not only not from a pretend state but an actual swing state, and is more attractive. If Mary plays her cards right, she’s thinking, she could be VP soon. But she has to become Governor first.
Stay with me here.
Who’s going to beat her? Kevin Coughlin? Jon Husted? No, no. And don’t give me John Kasich. John Kasich is currently making a living hosting “The Factor” when Bill O’Reilly is on vacation. Not going to cut it.
Mary also spent some time this week trying to fan the flames of the “Lipstick on a Pig” pseudo-controversy. The old Mary would have never done that. But the new Mary did.
I didn’t mention Husted, Kasich or Coughlin in my post two weeks ago but I gotta wonder – are they going to move aside for her? I’d love to be in on the conversations going on within the GOP about that.
Because frankly, Mary would probably make an excellent GOP candidate, better than all the other previously named GOP hopefuls.
The watch to see which male “rising stars” will move away for a woman continues.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:40 am September 12th, 2008 in Campaigning, Gender, Government, leadership, Ohio, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Statehouse, Ted Strickland | 22 Comments
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Sep
12
What’s Palin’s house look like at 6:15am on a school morning
Filed Under Parenting, Sarah Palin, Vice President, WH2008 | 1 Comment
Could look awesome, orderly and as if Mary Poppins herself was in there. Or not. I don’t particularly care – but I’d think of Gov. Sarah Palin as a whole lot more human – that’s it. I’m never voting for her because of issues, but yes – like it or not, PC or not, damaging to working parents or not (and I say definitely not), you can read what I said in Friday’s Washington Post.
I’ve got no problem keeping my analysis of who I want for president and vp, and why, to the issues. But I am not going to be bullied into submission about wanting to know the logistics of how she gets it done. I’m not saying it’s fair, rational or otherwise justifiable. But I am admitting it. Which is better than pretending that she’s actually ready to be president of the USA when she isn’t (and, by the way – that has nothing to do with the state of her house at 6:15am on a school morning – it has to do with stuff like not knowing what the Bush doctrine is and suggesting that Iraq and 9/11 are connected).
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:18 am September 12th, 2008 in Parenting, Sarah Palin, Vice President, WH2008 | 1 Comment
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Sep
12
Transcript of Sarah Palin interview w/Charlie Gibson, 9/11/08
Filed Under Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, WH2008 | 17 Comments
Highlights (from full transcript at Fox News):
Go to war with Russia to protect Georgia should become part of NATO:
GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions particularly in the last couple weeks does the proximity of the state give you?
PALIN: They’re our next door neighbors. And you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.
GIBSON: You favor putting Georgia and Ukraine into NATO?
PALIN: Ukraine definitely yes. Yes. And Georgia. Putin thinks otherwise, obviously he thinks otherwise.
GIBSON: Under the NATO treaty, wouldn’t we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?
PALIN: Perhaps so. That is the agreement. When you are a NATO ally, is, if another country is attacked, you are going to be expected to be called upon and help.
On letting Israel nuke Iran (anyone recall just how many times I’ve written about Israel being a pawn just like many of the Middle Eastern populations):
GIBSON: Let me turn to Iran. Do you consider a nuclear Iran to be an existential threat to Israel?
PALIN: I believe that under the leadership of Ahmadinejad, nuclear weapons in the hands of his government are extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe, yes.
GIBSON: So, what should we do about a nuclear Iran?
PALIN: We have got to make sure these weapons of mass destruction, that nuclear weapons are not given to those hands of Ahmadinejad, not that he would use them, but that he would allow terrorists to be able to use them. So we have got to put the pressure on Iran.
GIBSON: What if Israel decided it felt threatened and need to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities?
PALIN: Well, first, we are friends of Israel, and I don’t think that we should second guess the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves, and for their security.
GIBSON: So if we didn’t second guess it and if they decided they needed to do it, because Iran was an existential threat, we would be cooperative or agree with that?
PALIN: I don’t think we can second guess what Israel has to do to secure its nation.
GIBSON: So if it felt necessary, if it felt the need to defend itself by taking out Iranian nuclear facilities, that would be all right?
PALIN: We cannot second guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend itself.
And the moment of cringe, The Bush Doctrine:
GIBSON: Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?
PALIN: In what respect, Charlie?
GIBSON: The Bush — well, what do you interpret it to be?
PALIN: His world view?
GIBSON: No, the Bush doctrine, annunciated September 2002, before the Iraq War.
PALIN: I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell-bent on destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made, and with new leadership, and that’s the beauty of American elections, of course, and democracy, is with new leadership comes opportunity to do things better.
GIBSON: The Bush doctrine as I understand it is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with us?
PALIN: Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligent and legitimate evidence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country.
GIBSON: Do we have the right to be making cross-border attacks into Pakistan, from Afghanistan, with or without the approval of the Pakistani government?
PALIN: As for our right to invade, we’re going to work with these countries, building new relationships, working with existing allies, but forging new also, in order to, Charlie, get to a point in this world, where war is not going to be a first option. In fact, war has got to be and military strike a last option.
GIBSON: But governor, I am asking you, do we have the right, in your mind, to go across the border, with or without the approval of the Pakistani government?
PALIN: In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America, and our allies, we must do whatever it takes, and we must not blink, Charlie. In making those tough decisions of where we go, and even who we target.
Now you know – when John McCain didn’t know about how he’d voted on viagra versus birth control getting medical insurance coverage, you know – he said, I don’t know – I’ll have to check. And even though it’s kind of pathetic that he didn’t know the answer, it is far worse to punt, far far worse. I’ve done both – punt and say, I don’t know. But if I’m running for VP of a 300 million person country, folks – I’m telling the truth when I don’t know.
Norm Orenstein agrees with me:
She had me at hello Charley– had me scared to death. Not a single doubt that she is ready to be president– everyone, no matter how experienced, should have doubts about the ability to take that job. A combination of utter inexperience and utter arrogance is about the worst possible combination I can imagine.
On God and war:
GIBSON: Are we fighting a Holy War?
PALIN: That’s a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words, when he said, first he suggested, never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak god’s words, but what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was, let us not pray that God is on our side, in a war, or any other time. But let us pray that we are on God’s side. That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie.
Today is the day that I send my first born, my son, my teenage son, oversees with his Stryker brigade. Four thousand other wonderful American men and women to fight for our country, to fight for our freedoms.
GIBSON: But you went on and said, “There is a plan, and it is God’s plan.”
PALIN: I believe that there is a plan for this world, and that plan, for this world, is for good. I believe that there is great hope and great potential for every country, to be able to live and be protected within inalienable rights, that I believe are God-given, Charlie. And I believe those are the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
That in my worldview is the grand plan.
GIBSON: Then, are you sending your son on a task from God?
PALIN: I don’t know if the task is from God, Charlie. What I know is that my son has made a decision. I am so proud of his independent and strong decision. What he decided to do, in serving for the right reasons in serving something greater than self, and not choosing a real easy path, where he could be more comfortable and certainly safer.
I watched a bit about energy and global warming- you can read it here.
Gov. Palin is incapable of going past canned answers, she has no depth of knowledge about anything that doesn’t have to do with Alaska, she tried to push the debunked “9/11 was the reason for invading Iraq” falsehood and rather than state that she might not know something, she uses platitudes and tired Bush administration phrases intended to make us think she knows how dangerous it is out there and she will protect us.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but the last thing Gov. Palin does is make me feel safe.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:00 am September 12th, 2008 in Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, WH2008 | 17 Comments
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