Palin’s style too folksy

I personally do not want a vice president or, God forbid, a president who winks to the audience. Cute is good in a beauty pageant but not for a leader of the United States.

I am offended by Sarah Palin’s language — “darn right” and “I’ll betcha” — and especially her winking.

What is this country coming to that would allow that behavior? It is an insult to women all over the country.

Ruth Minor
Kansas City

Gosh darn, I betcha we can’t afford a down-home speakin’, winkin’ hockey mom and good ol’ gal aligned with Big Oil as VP or possibly president.

We’ve had eight years of a Big Oil, folksy talkin’ good ol’ boy with his gun-totin’ and Big Oil VP. Look where that got us in this country and in our credibility abroad.

Ya best wake up!

Susan Dobbelaere
Bonner Springs

All this talk of the candidates needing to connect with Main Street America and Joe Six Pack is really absurd. Do you really want someone who you feel is just like you running the country? Would you feel comfortable with your neighbor, your boss or your friend on the local school board being president?

Let’s face it, people. The average American is not equipped to run this country with the vast problems we face in the near future. It is time for this country to put substance over style. Do not let the campaigns turn this election into contest of who is more “like you.”

With the trouble this country is in, let’s all show a little common sense and vote for the smartest guy in the room instead of a regular Joe.

Jody Asmussen
Raytown

Comments

[Kate]

Tracee, I don’t hate women. But I don’t like performers who try to bolster their careers by attacking those with whom they disagree.

And I am offended by comedy routines that suggest a woman should be gang-raped because of her opinions.

I also think there’s nothing remotely edgy about an extremely liberal singer criticizing a conservative woman during a performance in one of the bluest cities in America. It was lazy and unimaginative - the kind of thing to be expected from someone at the end of her career.

Then there’s Cybil Shepherd – well, of course she’s afraid of Palin. The surprise to most of us is that she’s still alive . . . doncha know.

[Tracee]

Well Gosh Darn, Kate! Yer soundin' awful MYSOGINISTIC fer a girl! You Betcha!

[Kate]

Cybil Shepherd hates Sarah Palin, too.

Sandra Bernhard, Madonna, and Cybil. Did Palin propose a cut in funding to the Washed-Up Women Celebrities Home?

[Engineer]

Jim
You are correct that I am not as out spoken about McCain as I might be were I not so alarmed by Obama. I am a believer in the economic theory illustrated by the "Laffer Curve" both as to tax returns and job creation. The difficulties, of course, know where the turning point may be and the fact that it may vary with the situation. Obama is at least disingenuous when he says only those making $250,000 and above will have their taxes rose. He is proposing to remove the cap on SS taxes which well increase the taxes of all those making over %105.000. Even then I don't believe there will be anywhere near enough to do the things he says he will do. On health care he says he will keep private insurance but prohibit denying coverage for preexisting conditions, If this is done then premiums must go up. Also, if this is done, unless people are forced to take coverage, there will be no point in taking it until you get some serious illness. Health Insurance now costs a great deal more per year than normal medical expenses for yearly exams, infectious diseases, cuts and burses. I do not think Obama has the least concept of, or interest in, how the private side of the economy functions. He thinks government is the answer to everything.

[Jim]

Eng,

I find your comment to be pretty amusing, since you're the king of spouting talking points and completely ignoring another person's argument.

The city of Wasilla went from having no debt to have $20 million in long-term debt under Palin.

Palin instituted a windfall profits tax, which Obama would like to do for the entire country, and which you have criticized him for.

Palin and McCain love to tell us about how increasing taxes on the rich kills jobs. That didn't turn out to be true in the 90s, and we've seen from the Bush years that cutting taxes on the rich doesn't do anything to stop huge job losses.

McCain wants to kill off employer-provided health care and toss the money over to the insurance companies, giving us lowly consumers a tax credit that would on average cover less than half the cost of our coverage.

Now McCain has announced another big bailout, this one of bad mortgages. That would cost, according to his own campaign, roughly $300 billion. This was announced last night just moments after he pledged a "spending freeze" for everything but defense and "a few other programs." (not that he really knows what they are.

McCain still pledges a balanced budget by 2013. He couldn't show us how he'd accomplish that even before the bailout and his new half-size bailout. who knows how he'll accomplish it now? he won't say.

Sorry, but if that is "understanding" economics to you, you're more lost than I thought.

[solomon]

Engineer,

One of us drunk and we both know its not me. (wink-wink)

I understand (sorta) why you are backing McCain, even though you don't like him. To say you'd vote for Gov Clueless shows how desperate you are. She can't even regurgitate Republican talking points without weeks of coaching.

[Jim]

Hahaha good point, Kate.

[Engineer]

Jim
Here we have two letters regurgitating DNC talking points. And rather mean spirited talking points at that. As for me, I would vote for Sara Palin before I would for Obama. I don't think Obama understands anything except extracting money and favors from government. Obama's policies sound much like those of FDR's that kept the depression going, high taxes on the ypper end and distribute goodies.

[solomon]

Dennis Rodman for President.

[Kate]

“Whenever I'm in the voting booth and I'm not sure who to choose, I think to myself, "Who would Madonna support?"

I don’t see how that could help anyone narrow the field, given the number of people Madonna’s buttressed.

[Marctnts]

Back to the topic.

I'm REALLY not a fan of Palin's, but opposite of the title of the letter "Palin’s style too folksy", I don't find here "style" disturbing. I really think that's the way she is, Alaska born and raised. It may not be my cup of tea but I think it's genuine, and as I pointed out in my first post, Joe Six-Pack is just as capable of having the characteristics of a good leader as someone less "down-home".

Bush on the other hand, his "style" has always bothered me. Raised in the northeast and ivy-league educated, I've always been annoyed by his "good ole boy Texan" routine.

[solomon]

wink-wink

[solomon]

No difference in our opinion here, Marctnts. I say put Rosie O'Donnel and Dennis Miller in a room, chain the doors and let them bore each other to death.

[Jim]

Whenever I'm in the voting booth and I'm not sure who to choose, I think to myself, "Who would Madonna support?"

[Marctnts]

"Madonna doesn’t care much for Sarah Palin."

I know it's a little off-topic, but I'm amazed at the celebrities who decide they're relevant in the political discourse every four years. I get it, your a good actor / musician / athlete / etc., but I'm not sure why that means I should care about your political opinion.

The sad answer, of course, is that many people listen simply because of the celebrity status. We get the government we deserve. Quite disturbing...

[Kate]

Madonna doesn’t care much for Sarah Palin.

So at least Palin has that going for her.

[whispering_to_kc]

I was impressed when Sarah turned slightly at the podium to showcase her figure, pulled out her flute and asked the moderator, "is it time for the talent competition yet?"

[solomon]

wink-wink

[Jim]

I'm not irked by Palin's "folksiness." It's her complete and utter lack of understanding of the issues and apparent disregard for the need for that understanding that bothers me. Top that off with her lackluster performance as governor and her penchant for appointing cronies and using her position for revenge, and "folksiness" shouldn't even be an issue.

Of course, to Engineer that means I'm "running scared," when it's Palin who won't go on a Sunday morning show or have a press conference. Even her supporters are apparently off limits, as evidenced by the campaign's actions to stifle freedom of the press in Tampa, FL last week.

[Sammy]

"I'll betcha" is offensive? Wow.

[Rogue]

ffft, fffft, Rhar, spitt, hissss hisss....Ruth, Suaan, Jody are a little catty this morning aren't they? Give you three to one they are all ugly as a mud fence! You know Tiny Alice clones, lol.

[Marctnts]

"The average American is not equipped to run this country with the vast problems we face in the near future."

And neither, apparently, are the clowns we've put in office who have let things get to this point.

A great leader must possess an exceptional level of inner character, strength, resolve, and intelligence. These qualities could be found in "Joe Six Pack" just as easily as they could be found in someone with much more "pedigree". As long as we stereotype people's abilities based upon their perceived "status", we'll keep getting people with very little of the former but a lot of the latter.

[JustAMan]

Yea we need more Obama people that will spit a lugie on you. This is the class of poeple we need running our state an country?

www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/McCaskills_edge.html
"McCaskill was stepping out of her chair at the end of an MSNBC interview, and Romney was up next. ... she handed Romney the earpiece the guests use to hear the host.

"I spit on this before I put it in," she said to Romney, with a sweet smile.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom emails: "You should have seen what she did to the chair."

[solomon]

I believe the VP choice should be judged the same way a Presidential candidate should be judged. Joe Biden did not fare well in the primaries but we have come to know who he is without a smokescreen. I'd never support him for the Oval Office.

How many of the people lining up to support Gov Palin would have given her a second thought in a primary?