A Friend Stopped By | 08/29/2008 2:11 pm

Monica Crowley: Somewhere, Hillary Is Smiling

By Monica Crowley

Editor’s Note: Monica Crowley, Ph.D., is a panelist on The McLaughlin Group, the host of the nationally syndicated radio program "The Monica Crowley Show" and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Somewhere, Hillary Clinton is smiling.

She’s smiling because John McCain had the cojones to do what Barack Obama did not: put a woman on his ticket.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is now running with McCain as his choice to be vice president. She is a tax-cutting, pro-drilling, environmentalist, gun-defending, pro-life mom of five, with a son in the Army about to be deployed to Iraq.

You want "change?" Here it is. Obama said last night that change doesn’t come "from Washington, it comes TO Washington." How odd, then, that both Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden, are quintessentially Washington creatures.

Governor Palin, from Alaska, is about as far removed from Washington as you can be without living in Russia, just a hop away from her state.

She hunts, shoots, has a lifetime membership in the NRA, ice fishes, is Christian and pro-life.

A few months ago, Obama put down people like her, saying they "cling to their guns and their religion."

Something tells me Governor Palin is going to be a rock star in the states that really matter — Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan. They like their guns and religion, too.

In high school, Palin played basketball so fiercely that she earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda." She also played in the championship game with a stress fracture in her ankle, nailing a free throw in the critical final seconds.

She’s a cool chick and a tough cookie. I say again: somewhere Hillary smiles.

Read more about: Barack Obama, Election, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin

131 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Reagan graduated from a one-building college near Peoria, Illinois, Eureka Christian College, which is where people went when they flunked out of every other college in the Big 10. People who knew him from that time said he could barely right his own name. I really wonder whether his so-called Alzheimers disease wasn’t a lifelong bone stupidity finally showing up so evident publicly that it could no longer be ignored. It was so close to Peter Sellers movie, “Being There,” and we were so close to utter catastrophy, I still shudder to think. When he wanted his star wars program, I thought since his grasp on reality was so very tenuous, perhaps we should just put an arcade of video games in the White House and a very large roll of quarters, and let him play space invaders all day, rather than blow up the planet. I still shudder to think. And still people think of him as “a great president.” God.

By Mugsy Peabody on 08/30/2008 3:32 am

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You mean write his own name right? maybe you should not be making judgements about intelligence.

By Tracey Carter on 08/30/2008 9:02 pm

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Oh, please, is THAT all you have?

By Mugsy Peabody on 08/30/2008 9:12 pm

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Diana . . . as always, delightful to hear the words of a very bright woman - a woman who can lay out the whole laundry list of deficiences so succinctly and intelligently. Now, if they had only turned to us for advice before blowing their world apart to a world of negative reaction the like of which I had rarely seen in life. We see things clearly, we see all the roadblocks, the bumps in making the choice, and can lay them out and defend them. Obviously, there are major deficiences behind the scene in the smoke-filled rooms. And doesn’t that tell us that those same people are planning to guide the efforts of the president???? And doesn’t that make you want to say “close call” but “he’s OUT on first”. Yes, time to have a glass of wine and disappear into a World of our Own. :-)

By joan larsen on 08/29/2008 3:36 pm

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Joan, I think you told me somewhere that you are a public office holder? So, you have advisors that you count on, whatever your office is. All of you must have these advisors. Does not this decision make you question McCain’s (a) independence,(b) his cognitive abilities,and (3) the machiavellian goals of his advisors? Also, I am in the process of watching the youtubes that Winery posted on the DNC Reader Forum last night; I am really watching those McCain youtubes with new eyes, and I very much value your opinion of them, please, if you don’t mind. As I really think about his choice, I am very disturbed and worried. I am right,plunk, in the middle of the Bible Belt. My Senators are Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell. Here, people will just love to vote this ticket without thinking it thorough. How do you feel about it…really deep down?

By Diana T on 08/29/2008 3:49 pm

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Diana What are “new eyes”? Why do you even watch them? Do you do it to get upset? It is not worth it. I still want to know what are “new eyes?” Eyes with more anger? How will that help Obama get elected. Isn’t he trying to stop the partisanship?

By Frannie Em on 08/29/2008 4:13 pm

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Diana is arming herself with information so she can campaign for Obama, spread the word and help elect him. That is not getting angry, that’s getting busy.

By DeBúrca obj on 08/29/2008 9:15 pm

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You offer wise counsel, Frannie. I have a GOP-loving cousin in Ohio. And one thing I notice whenever we talk about politics, is his utter lack of the basic factual information. Moreover, he has absolutely no desire to obtain it or even consider it. Rather, he bases his opinions on sweeping generalities, blind patriotism, and constantly parrots the same old GOP talking points. In short, HE DOESN’T THINK, he repeats. Our problem — people like DIana and me — is that we think too much and sometimes work ourselves into a state that is debilitating to our sense of peace and grace. It’s the curse of an active intellect and we can’t stop ourselves. But we need to step back from this madness — that will doubtless take a new form tomorrow — and chill. You’re right, Frannie. It’s not worth it. And the Republicans will NEVER get it or us, no matter how much balanced reason we try to offer them. They’re wired very differently. Diana, you don’t need new eyes. You just need to close them and take a deep cleansing breath. I’ll join you.

By Susan B on 08/30/2008 1:09 am

Diana I hope you feel better. I can’t find anything on here that is interesting to participate in, except your quote. I think Sen Obama has worked diligently from the beginning to run a campaign not based on attacks. That is one way he is trying to prove to the American people that he has dedicated himself to the principal of change and bridging the partisanship gap. If he gets elected, and there is even more partisanship due to the behavior of his constituents, how is that helping your candidate? If you want a new direction for the country, then be that new direction and ask civil questions without a heavy load insinuated put downs. (sorry, I don’t know if you have done that, but it is done) Susan, I can not tell you how many times people have insinuated that I am an Evangelical. Hey I believe in reincarnation, and I more of a Western/Buddhist than any other religious practice. They take a word and make it into a “code” and lump everyone into a prejudged category, with the justification that “the other side does it”. What? The only person’s behavior I can be responsible for is my own. Many here keep talking about change, but continue to use the same old tactic of angry smears about the other side. That doesn’t have to do with change, it has to do with control. Control the other side and it will bring inner peace. That has never worked in the history of the world. Susan, with my favorite avatar, don’t let fear get you. Media and campaign machines will use fear to control the situation. It isn’t worth it. Put it in perspective: we all have one vote. The classier you come off in your environment, the more people you will inspire. We each have one vote. Vote it. Vote the way you feel, vote what you believe, and vote what you know. That is our civic right and duty. You got it going on. No one person’s vote is more important than yours. The people will speak. Hang in there. I think I am going to head out to the ocean today. Peace and grace and peas and gravy.

By Frannie Em on 08/30/2008 3:28 pm

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Susan That above quote was for you. I need to stop reading and head west. sorry

By Frannie Em on 08/30/2008 3:30 pm

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Thank you, Frannie. All is well with me. I’m not driven by fear, it never has worked well for me. So now I’m going forward with positive energy. The ocean is a good idea. Maybe I’ll see you there. Peace to you, and us all.

By Susan B on 08/30/2008 5:09 pm

HI Diana, As to my questioning the independence, the cognitive abilities (great point), and roles of his advisers, if I had not thought of this before - and I did - today put the cap on it. In another post, I said that after today’s seeming fiasco on the VP, you can be assured that feathers would fly behind the scenes, and some key advisers would find their goos was cooked. At the DNC, I was able to get some of the “inside” flavor of what was going on. No surprises as conventions of this sort are completely choreographed, tested, and the speakers either have their speeches written which would be the choice, or they can find that what they want to say is chopped mercilessly - making hash of the points - and they must do a pre-perfornance before a group of specialists that tell them if they are raising their hand too much, to anything else and everything else. The end result — a piece of theater that cost is out of the ball park. Still I found it eye-opening. So the gathering behind the scenes for McCain - as the brains of the operation (which there are plenty) vet the prospects out there - is something I would have paid to watch. But I am afraid I would have wanted to put my two cents in. But somehow “the brains” in my belief - with McCain’s agreement, took a calculated risk with the VP. I have been told today that you, Diana, still may have cause for concern. The Bible Belt and those three states they need may go for such meager credentials anyhow. I am told that there are people out there that will grab hold of “her credentials” (I shiver to call them that) and feel she is one of them. I try not to believe that people could be fooled. But I know they can. . . but surely, surely, not many?????????? No one has ever called me a dreamer - but I suppose there is a first time. I will look at youtubes — but I am up to my neck in this today — so I will have to wait.

By joan larsen on 08/29/2008 4:29 pm

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Around here, Joan? They’ll love her and points south. After all, she is one of “us” a soccer mom with a new baby. So, she’s not exactly held public office for very long, but, hey! she was a helluva basketball player in high school. Just like our daughters. So, she doesn’t have foreign policy experience, but what’s diplomacy anyway? And, she can shoot the hell out of anything she looks at, so as long as she loves our guns, we love her. And, choice? what choice…the bible does not give us choices anyway, and she’s one of us..and, hell, that global warming thing is just a ploy to make Al Gore a rich man. And, I swear on a stack of bibles I have heard everybit of this from so-called educated successful people.

By Diana T on 08/29/2008 4:44 pm

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Oh Diana, you must be in the direct center of the Bible Belt as you can take everyone of Palin’s so-called qualities - because I refuse to call them “credentials” and make me laugh out loud as you put them all together, making me think I actually lived there. You DO have a way with words. I am “big city” insulated obviously, never seeing such behavior, so hoping what I have been hearing was just plain overkill on the part of the media. I believe you, Diana, and now there is concern. I take it they all go out and vote — or someone sees that they do? What would they think about a mother of 5 small children and a baby with profound disabilities leaving her children for “a job”. Isn’t there an angle there that could be played? Let’s see what tomorrow may bring.

By joan larsen on 08/29/2008 5:02 pm

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Contrary to what they say, Joan, there a still a lot of churches around here that take the politics to the pulpit. And, now they will have the congregations out in full force because now, once again, this election, what with all of our problems, terrorism, war, health care, economy,a broken infrastructure, and an environment that is in a mess, this election will hinge on abortion. Roe v wade will again decide this election. And, these ladies think that by deserting the party that supports them the most, just by getting a female into a high office that it won’t happen. Well, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is well into her 70’s. And, it is very likely that the next president will choose one or two supreme court judges plus countless others in the Judiciary. Amazing!

By Diana T on 08/29/2008 8:44 pm