Thanks for this, Alex!
I was just getting started on reading more about her, and it was great to see in my RSS feed that Bilerico had already posted an overview of her history on LGBTQ issues. Thanks for your research and speed!

You know what pisses me off - besides the fact that she isn't qualified, a pro-lifer, and extremely conservative?

She has a four month old baby - with Down's Syndrome. There's family values for you. She also has four other children. How the hell can you run around the country running for a national ticket and take care of a baby with special needs?

Are we going to hear from the conservative groups denouncing her for that? So far, everyone keeps saying that this choice is going to delight the conservative base.

Wow, I wonder if people like Rory would be saying the same thing if Sarah Palin were a man who had a child with Down's Syndrome? I suspect not. Just another way in which the Democrats have demonstrated their anti-feminist hypocrisy. First the vicious and underhanded smears against Hillary from the Obama campaign, now attacks on a working mom for having the audacity to think that women can be mothers and have a career.

Rory;
Yes we will hear from the conservative groups about the Down's Child--as an example of how pro-life she is.

Abuse of office, attempting to deny partner benefits, attempting to subvert the court, and a woman's whose only defense experience is a small town police force...

Was McCain confusing running mate with potential mate?

"Yes we will hear from the conservative groups about the Down's Child--as an example of how pro-life she is."

Undoubtedly. I just don't know how they can do that and ignore the fact that she's not *raising* the baby in the same breath. Intellectual consistency is always welcomed.

Hillary Clinton's success didn't derive just from the fact that she was a woman, but that she was a strong, intelligent, experienced woman who fought for women's rights and health care for decades. Palin's not. It's a pretty cynical move, but, then again, McCain actually thinks he has a chance among Democratic Hillary supporters.

It's not that Hillary fans only support her because she has a vag. We're not that stupid. And we're not stupid enough to think that any vag will do. But it's the principal of the matter. I'll have more to say on this later.

This woman is ambitious to the point of being mercilessly vicious. She built her career through bringing forth the downfall of competitors.

I'm wary of what she can do with disgruntled Clinton supporters.

Best line I've heard so far:

Alaska is a relatively new state. It's 22 years younger then John McCain.

See ya'll when I get home.

In the typical neanderthal mindset of the war criminal and intellectually challenged neo-con called "John Mccain"; his choice of a person who has demonstrated the capacity and arrogance to abuse the power that comes with public trust is NO SURPRISE!

His choice for a political "attack dog" was well vetted. His choice was based on the same criteria GW Bush used to choose a ruthless, self-serving Darth Cheney as his running mate. Both have a vested interest in placing the demands of big oil, AIPAC, and other special interest groups of questionable integrity above all else, including; the needs, concerns, and safety of honest hard working American citizens.

John Mccain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years. John Mccain wants to "bomb, bomb, bomb - bomb, bomb Iran". John Mccain is itching for a fight with Russia over the US incited/financed Georgian attack on Russian CIVILIANS in South Ossettia earlier this month. Bush/Mccain want to place missiles in Poland which is sure to create a new "missile crisis". Those US missiles in Poland have the same perceived intention as the Soviet missiles had in the Cuban missile crisis in the 60's.

Bullying, terrorizing, harassing, torture, intimidation, genocide, and propagandizing are not effective tools of diplomacy, nor are they appropriate as domestic policy. Neither do those methods demonstrate good will or good character. There has been no honor, integrity or justice in our foreign or domestic policies since 2001. With a third Bush administration; the depravity will only deepen.

Larry Craig would have been a more credible choice, I think. Far, far more experience. At least he would have won the Alaskan Miss American contest instead of being first runner up. I'll take a used Idaho baked potato any day over half-baked Alaska.

Picking Palin is sexist in and of itself -- they don't give Hillary supporters credit enough to think beyond the vagina to the person and the policies.

We linked to this in a post at the CA NOW blog: http://www.canow.org/canoworg/2008/08/mccains-vp-choi.html

Picking Sarah Palin for VP is like picking Clarence Thomas for Supreme Court. Tokenism at its worst!

2008 and we are talking about a woman with children not being able to do the job?

Oh, and Joseph Biden heartily supported the Defense of Marriage act...affecting us all, not just one state. Thanks, Joe. And Joe, if you support Civil Unions...where's mine?

As a Hillary supporter, and a woman who has seen much too much of corporate fast tracking of men past much more qualified women...I'm pissed. And when the Dems did it to Hillary, I was real pissed. If as a woman, I don't matter to the Democratic Party...then don't come crying to me now for my vote.

faith, are you kidding? i have a 2.5 year old and an 11 mth old. no one is saying the woman CAN'T do the job. but if you have kids you know the commitment you owe you child especially when they are helpless babies. add to the mix she has a special needs baby. so should she cut off the breast milk and leave baby with daddy while she nation and globe trots or should she lug the baby to a couple of new cities every week and new countries every month? even hillary, whom i originally supported, chose being a present and sacrificing mother to chelsea. and she was still able to make her mark without dissing her kid. motherhood is not a dirty word, it doesn't have to be a full time job, but it also shouldn't be a hobby you pick up a couple of times a week.

Not only is she anti-LGBT and anti-women, she's anti-environment. Remember, this is the same woman who sued the Interior Department for listing polar bears as an endangered species.

Faith, it's the hypocrisy. Please. Suddenly, the creationist, anti-choice, "wives submit to your husbands" barefoot and pregnant knuckle-dragger crowd thinks that a woman with four children plus a special needs baby should be our VP? It's a gender equality epiphany! Oh dear god, won't someone think of the children?

Who could possibly vote for these people? There is nothing they won't lie about. It's an absolute embarrassment.

Governor, By inviting Maxwell Energy Corp into Alaska we could usurp entirely the expensive oil rigs with a specialty algae unknown in the US, even though it can be found in Alaska to produce Biodiesel for $2.50 per gallon. We would need remote costal areas that will enhance the fishing grounds and not endanger them. Our algae will die outside the laboratories where they are propagated for fuel. These algae arrive with the migrating sperm whales from Antarctica and are discharged as the whales begin to feed on the rich marine life in Alaska. With this system Maxwell could assist Alaska to fuel the entirety of America at fixed non nonsense prices and you could penalise Exxon by gifting their sites over to Maxwell to produce Biodiesel and pay the shortfall that Exxon failed to pay first awarded by the Supreme Court of the USA.
Contact Wayne Mighorst President Maxwell Energy Corp. PO Box 82003 Highland Park, Pakuranga, Auckland, New Zealand Ph 649 021 217 1232

Best quip on Palin:

Basically, she's Tom Coburn with boobs.

Hmm reading this and other postings damning this woman who until today I knew nothing about makes me think that the Anti Christ has come and you have lost the election already.If the team of Obama/Biden cant beat this team then they need to be bannised form the Democratic Party.

Politiics is a contact sport with no rules.

Caty

I am an almost 40 yr old mother of seven and expecting number eight. I am a very conservative Republican. I am terribly disappointed in McCain's choice. I am appalled that this *mother* went back to work three days after giving birth. How is she going to give her full attention to the position of VP when she still has a baby, 7 yr old, 13 yr old and 17 yr old at home?! How will she give them the attention they need and deserve?! This truly is not the family values I want my children seeing.
I hate agreeing with Democrats but there are some things we agree on in this case.
God help my party. It may take a miracle to win. And then is it even going to be a win?

If McCain is elected, ...

Who would Palin appoint to the VP post when she takes over the Oval Office?

BREAK THE GLASS CEILING !!!
WOW ... What a great pick!!! America should elect
McCain & Palin for the Whitehouse in November,
for a return to wholesome American values.
An experienced Governor for V.P. vs. a
community organizer for President ... I pick Palin.
No Wright, no Farrakahn, no Ayers, no Rezko,
no mean Michelle, NOBAMA

Um, just to be clear, women over age 35 at the time of their FIRST pregnancy are at higher risk for having a child Down Syndrome. Forty-four is not a terribly advanced age to have children and speaking purely biologically if her childbearing years started before her mid-thirties her risk factors were increased by a very small amount.

I find much of the language in this thread INCREDIBLY offensive as it is devaluing this child because of his/her disability. Suggesting that it's irresponsible to carry a child with Trisomy 23 to term is a horribly, ugly assertion.

I always believed that most people were pretty reasonable. After reading most of the comments on this page I've decided that at least here, that is not the case.
How insulting to all women this page is. How about the mothers that serve in the military. What about single moms that work 2 jobs. What about the female CEO's that run large corporations or female lawyers that work long hours to prepare cases. What are you saying? If there mothers they should only work as teacher helpers for 4 hrs a day.
This is what makes me sick about the party of my mother and father. I was a registered democrat for almost 45 years.
This is the reason I left the party. You know almost nothing about Sarah Palin and yet you write about her like she is the first coming of satin.
If you disagree with her politics that’s fine. Debate it here on this forum with at least some degree of intelligence. But as is typical of places like this, you don't have anything to say that has substance so you resort to lying, name calling and condemning her because she may not agree with you.
Your a typical one issue voter. Nothing matters to you except that one issue that you are passionate about and anyone who disagrees with you must be ignorant.
I was looking for information about Sarah Palin when I found this site. I look elsewhere from now on.
By the way what is your issue, and please don't insult me by giving me a laundry list because you probably had someone else write it

"That's ridiculous. All pregnancies are a crap shoot."

Ever hear of a thing called a "high risk pregnancy"? To say all pregnancies are a crap shoot is like saying that crossing the street and sky diving are both risks.

"As long as someone is aware of their odds and is prepared to deal with whatever eventuates, as the Palins were, it's no one else's business."

That's just the point. They aren't. Palin went back to work three days after she gave birth. That isn't good for any baby, much less a special needs baby. And now she's going to hit the road for the next two months. That's not dealing with having a baby at all.

This isn't about Palin choosing to carry and give birth knowingly to a special needs child, then go back to work. Presumably, the Palins have the money to afford nannies; it's not the way I would raise a kid, but that part is their business. My dislike for her candidacy is because she is such a contemptuously crass choice: a person that has no more business being President than Opus the Penguin; a person who is part of the know-nothing right wing, a person who rabidly hates abortion and gay people - even opposes legal divorces, a person who was chosen strictly as a cynical political attempt to woo disgruntled Hillary supporters. She's simply unfit to be President - and is the running mate of a man 72 years old who has both a bad temper and tendencies toward senility, one failed defibrillation away from being the Leader of the Free World, with no judgment or vision for the job.

what do you mean a 44yr old should not have babies?
THAT IS THE ULTIMATE in PRO CHOICE

I am a very healthy 25yr old having just given birth to a special needs child. It is a blessing and has made me and all around us better human beings.

I am surprised at my fellow Dem Hillary supporters
for being so narrow minded and taking much of what this woman believes in OUT of context..

there is too much mis information developing from the mouths and minds of irrational people.

I am changing my registration to
IND, and WILL vote for the Rep ticket ONLY
because of SARAH,,,,,,

LEARN her motives.... they are honest and with integrity to AMERICA not communism
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2101047613401767676&ei=JRi7SO6AD4ToqgLTx9D1DA&q=45+goals+communism%2C&vt=lf&hl=en

I don't want the woman as vice president any more than most of the rest of you, but what's disgusting about having a baby at 44?

I personally would not ever choose to have five children to begin with, let alone have an additional one once I had such a demanding job, but we don't know what her family situation really is. Her husband is working, but who knows how many hours - maybe he's the primary caretaker? Or who knows how closely involved the rest of their family is?

I think we can assume that they probably would have sufficient resources to care for a typical baby as well as most people. With their beliefs about abortion, it's not surprising they chose to keep the baby even after his diagnosis. He certainly will need a lot more help than most kids, but having a Down Syndrome baby is not devastation - and these two should be able to afford to get the best help in to work with him. Besides, you can't criticize her for leaving him, and then for dragging him around, at the same time.

That said, I think she's possibly a decent political choice but a terrible functional choice - she might help McCain win the election if there enough reflexive pseudo-feminist voters out there, but she has nothing like the kind of experience she'd need to run the country in its current mess. In addition, she's way to the right on the kind of issues that matter to us, and most people in the US are