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If our traffic and t-shirt sales are any indication, you are likely as excited about the Sarah Palin VP selection as we are. Here are some links to Palin Posts we spotted this weekend that we thought worthy of note.

Media:

• The Fighter Pilot and the Moose Hunter, Lisa Schiffren, City Journal
• Conservatives Find the Girl of their Dreams, Sarah Baxter, Sunday Times
• Where Palin Made Her Name, Nathan Thornburgh, Time
• Diminishing Palin: How the left will try, Dean Barnett, The Weekly Standard

Blogs:

• The Sniveling Begins - Palin Hijacks Democrats Confidence, SR, Maritime Sentry
• Palin No Panic Pick: WaPo, Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
• That’s Pretty Sad, Guys, E. M. Zanotti, American Princess
• Think Progress Covers Up Child Abuse in Palin Nomination Smear, Confederate Yankee

Evil:

There’s been a lot of despicable things on the internet already this weekend as the left searches for a way to combat Sarah Palin, but the most disgusting thing I’ve seen all weekend comes from none other than Liberal Alan Colmes. In a post on his site, Mr. Colmes questioned if Governor Palin received proper prenatal care for her most recent pregnancy. How does a guy who supports killing babies and likely has no uterus of his own know more about prenatal care than a woman who had given birth four times previously and had consulted her doctor?

Revealing:

Probably the most telling thing I’ve read all weekend is also the simplest. A dear friend, who I’ve never heard talk much about politics, ended a blog post about her Master’s education this way:

“In political news, I’m pretty pumped about the election–it’s a GIRL!”

She’s not only a girl, she’s great.

If you are opposed to abortion, you can not be a woman or don’t support women. That appears to be the logic of much of the media, the National Organzation of Women, and apparently the DNC as they begin to attack John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for Vice President. These same hacks also accuse McCain and the RNC of thinking woman don’t care about issues… only identity politics.

What a crock.

While NOW and the liberal left want to tell all women what they must believe and what their issues must be… Like John McCain, I believe women are smarter than that. The pick of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee says something to women that NOW and the leftists never would… it says women are individuals who can decide for themselves what is important. Just because you have a uterus doesn’t mean you have to believe in infanticide.

But the left doesn’t get it. They think all women must vote in a block just like they believe all black Americans must vote in a block. If you are black and don’t vote for Obama, liberals will call you Uncle Tom. And if you are a woman and are not pro-abortion, apparently you want to repeal the Nineteenth Amendment.

What the left doesn’t get is that most Republicans don’t think like that, and neither do most Americans. When you believe in self-reliance and personal responsibility, two ideas paramount in conservatism, you virtually eliminate racism and bigotry from the equation. And when you believe that people can have their own opinions and achievements, regardless of their race or gender, you empower them and promote an equal playing field. But Democrats believe your color, race, gender or sexual orientation dictates what you must believe. That doesn’t sound real progressive, does it?

I don’t believe all women support abortion anymore than I believe all black Americans support reparations or all immigrants support illegal immigration. I don’t look at a woman and presume to know what she thinks nor do I presume I know what is best for her. I happen to believe that women are smart enough to choose what is important to them for themselves and they don’t need Barbara Boxer, Gloria Steinem or Hillary Clinton to tell them how to think. That doesn’t make me a sexist, it makes me a feminist.

Here’s the thing, I find it hard to believe most women support abortion in the first place. But even if they do, certainly most don’t support leaving babies to die in soiled utility rooms. A woman who does believe in abortion or infanticide isn’t less of a woman… but she is wrong.

Conversely, Sarah Palin isn’t any less of a woman because she thinks abortion is an abomination. It’s certainly your place to disagree with her, but its not your place to question her intelligence or revoke her high heels.

The ironic thing is that Democrats don’t presume that all white guys must believe the same things… but they think every other segmented group must. Women, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans, Union Workers, Teachers, etc all must believe what the DNC tells them to believe. And if they don’t they are ridiculed on MSNBC, attacked by the DNC and ostracized by those on the left. But somehow we Republicans are the bigots?

Whatever.

Sarah Palin is a great choice for women because, among other things, she never let her gender limit her achievement. Sarah Palin raised a family and reformed a government. She competed in a beauty padget and on a basketball team. She can hunt and fish and have babies while keeping her faith. She can give one hell of a speech and fight the most corrupt men and wear a dress while doing it. She’s not affraid of a challenge or questioning the status quo, even if that means going against her own party. And she does it all without affirmative action or her husband’s coat tails to get her there.

Sarah Palin breaks all the molds and all the stereotypes and for that reason alone she should be the darling of feminists. Instead, she is being demonized by them. Unlike the liberal left, I believe real women are smart enough to see that. Apparently so does John McCain.

But Sarah Palin is more than that. She is the embodiment of what our citizen government was meant to be. Sarah didn’t set out to be President and isn’t a career politician. She is a mom who got involved in the PTA because she cared about her community and her schools. The PTA led to city council which led to mayor and then to governor. She made each step of the way not because of personal ambition but because of an ambition to make changes and a willingness to serve. Rather than sit on the sidelines and complain about problems, Sarah Palin took charge, ran for office and did something about it. Isn’t that what our elected officials are supposed to do?

The real beauty of Sarah Palin is that her resume would be just as impressive if she were a man. And that means she is a great choice for all Americans, identity politics be damned. Does her gender add something to the ticket? Sure. It shows that you can have real change and not just look like it. Barack Obama got his party’s nomination because he is black. But Sarah Palin will get her party’s nomination because she is right. You can talk about change, but McCain/Palin can actually deliver it. Real reform with real results, offered in part by our Vice Presidential nominee who has more experience and more accomplishments than Barack Obama even though she is a few years younger, doesn’t have a law degree, and is a woman. Shocking.

In case you missed it, here is Governor Sarah Palin’s speech upon the announcement of her selection as John McCain’s running mate.

The McCain Campaign sent out the following e-mail regarding Sarah Palin:

My Friends,

I am honored to announce that I have chosen Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as my choice for the Republican nominee for Vice President. As a father with three daughters, I can’t express how proud I am to choose the first female Republican Vice-Presidential nominee.

Sarah Palin is a trailblazer and a reformer. As the first female governor of Alaska, she challenged a corrupt system and has been a tireless advocate for reform - passing a landmark bill on ethics reform. She has taken on the old politics in Alaska and reformed the state’s energy industry. She rejects wasteful pork barrel spending. She’s fearless - exactly the type of leader I want at my side and the type of leadership we will bring to Washington.

My friends, together Sarah Palin and I make the strongest presidential ticket and I know that she joins me in asking for your support as we head into our Convention week in Minnesota. We’re shaking things up in this campaign - and Governor Palin and I are ready to bring real reform to Washington.

The polls indicate this will be a tight race as we head into the fall campaign against Senators Obama and Biden. I expect the polls to remain close all the way up to Election Day and that is why any help you can give today will go a long way to make history on November 4th.

You may already know that I have decided to accept federal matching funds for the final months of this campaign- keeping a campaign promise I made. But that means that August 31st marks the last day I can accept your primary contribution. Will you make an immediate donation of whatever you can give- whether it’s $50 or $500 to ensure Governor Palin and I win in November?

You can be assured that as President and Vice President, Governor Palin and I will always put country before all else. We are ready to lead and I ask that you join our campaign today. Your support is deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,

John McCain

P.S. I have chosen Governor Sarah Palin as my running mate and today we held a joint campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio. I hope you’ll visit my website to financially support our ticket as we head into next week’s Republican Convention. Thank you.

We’re excited over the Sarah Palin selection for John McCain’s Vice President.  We’ll have more to write about this later, but in the meantime let me make a shameless plug about our McCain/Palin 2008 T-Shirts and other campaign items.  We’ll be adding more over the weekend, and have some good commentary to boot.  But if traffic this afternoon is any indication… all of you are just as giddy as we are over the pick.

Check out our McCain/Palin 2008 designs for t-shirts, bumper stickers and other campaign gear.

It’s the talk of the political town today as John McCain chooses Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. McCain officially announced his choice just a few hours ago in Dayton, OH. In his introduction, McCain profiled the woman who may be the first woman vice president - she is a mother of five, married to her high school sweetheart, she rose from being involved with the PTA at her children’s school to being elected to the Wasilla City Council in 1992. She became mayor at age 32 and in 2006 was elected as Alaska’s governor. She has a history of experience, of shaking up the status quo, bringing down corruption, standing up against Senator Ted Stevens, and serving as a strong advocate for her fellow Alaskans. John McCain said that she is “exactly what I need” in a running mate. And she is exactly who America needs in a leadership position the next four years.

And if her strong political background wasn’t enough, the fact that’s she’s just cool seals the deal for me. In 1984 she was crowned Miss Wasilla and was a runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant. She eloped with her high school sweetheart Todd to avoid a pricey wedding. She gave her kids cool names: her sons are Track, 19 and Trig, 4 months, and her daughters are Bristol, 17, Willow 13, and Piper 7. Her husband is the defending four-time winner of the Iron Dog (a daunting snowmobiling competition) and Sarah herself is a moose hunter. She has coached basketball, led her high school’s FCA group and is a self-proclaimed “hockey mom.” In essence, Sarah Palin is a cool chick, a maverick in her own right, and a strong conservative leader that this country needs. McCain already had my vote, but his choice of Sarah Palin as the VP candidate gets me excited about this ticket and even more pumped about the November election.

Learn more about Sarah Palin here.

Cross-posted from Melanie at A Coffee To Go.

Here’s the press release from the McCain campaign.

ARLINGTON, VA – U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.

Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.

Governor Palin has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us – Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.

In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

As the head of Alaska’s National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.

Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.

The media is reporting that John McCain has chosen Governor Sarah Palin to serve as his Vice President. This is the most excited I’ve been about the McCain campaign thus far. It truly would be a “Maverick” ticket. Stay tuned.

Looks like Pawlenty is out and Palin chatter is heating up this morning. We’ll know soon enough, but I’m getting excited. Governor Palin is a great choice and might just be a game changer. This year, the VP slot certainly matters.

I won’t get into the factual problems or the complete mischaracterizations (McCain’s 90% Bush voting record for one) Barack Obama espoused in this speech tonight. We can leave that to another time. But at first blush, Barack Obama’s speech was like most other Barack Obama speeches… He’s a great orator from prepared remarks… great. He’s inspiring and invigorating, and knows which buttons to push and how to deliver. But all he is delivering are words… just words.

Here are some stream of conscious thoughts I had during his great speech from Mount Barackopolis.

…

You are crazy if you think you will find lower taxes under a Barack Obama administration. I’ve looked, its there for some, but not for most. And there is still a huge void as to how he will pay for all of his lofty, socialized promises.

…

You will be sadly mistaken if you think health care will get better and prices at the pump will drop under Barack Obama. T. Boone Pickens and Nancy Pelosi will get rich with all the handouts and tax breaks and financial incentives given to their wind farms… while we leave oil in coastal shales and ANWR untouched.

…

I’m not sure why we need to make college education free or close to free for students when Obama admits he and his wife were able to afford college in a BB America (Before Barack America) thanks to the American Dream. I doubt many of my teacher friends will want to work for free… but if students aren’t paying tuition, where will the professor’s salaries come from? Oh yeah, my taxes again.

…

Speaking of taxes… if I’m lucky enough to earn some wealth in my lifetime… wealth that will be taxed when I earn it, when I spend it and when I grow it… I’m not sure why I should have to pay 45% of it back to the government in additional taxes when I die. That wealth, if I can manage to grow it under Comisar Obama’s reign should go to my children… but he wants half instead.

…

Obama said “we are the party of Kennedy, don’t tell me we won’t stand up for our country” or something like that. I guess he was talking about JFK, because Teddy couldn’t even stand up for the woman he left to drown in the car he crashed… so I doubt he could stand up for our neighbors, our country, or anyone else.

…

Barack claims to be able to restore our moral standing as a country. How can he do so if he has no moral standing of his own? He had the “morals” to sit in a church for 20 years with a man who said G-D America and called our country racist, blaming the U.S. for AIDS. He sat on a board, grew his political career, and started his presidential campaign with an admitted and unrepentant terrorist. He was involved in a housing scandal of his own with a sweet real estate deal with Rezko. His wife is rarely proud of America (not until recently at least). And he allows babies to die alone in trashcans and soiled utility rooms. So, yeah… tell me about your moral standing.

…

Obama once again threatens anyone who questions his patriotism because he won’t question John McCain’s. I’ve been down this road before. John McCain’s patriotism is unquestionable… but Obama’s is not due to Barack Obama’s own actions. So rather than answer them, he tries to deflect the criticism onto others and say that he won’t do it so you can’t. Whatever. I question your patriotism, Barry, and everyone else should.

…

Obama tried to rewrite the second amendment as something for hunters not protection. Obviously he didn’t learn his lesson from Heller. Barack, the second amendment is to protect the populous from threats, including an overbearing government. So you don’t get to dictate to me what type of gun I can own, because you are part of the threat I am trying to protect myself from.

…

About 5-10 minutes before the end he starts the race baiting (actually it started with the “funny name” crap in the opening video). Barack says they will try to scare people from voting for him. He doesn’t have the “typical pedigree” etc. OPPOSITION TO YOU IS NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK, IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE WRONG. STOP PLAYING VICTIM WHILE USING RACE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. You are becoming a race pimp no better than Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Quit trying to guilt people into voting for you or scare them from questioning you. You can’t deflect all criticism as scare tactics or racist banter.

…

Barack says the “election is not about [him].” Really? Is that why your logo and likeness is everywhere like Stalin or Mao? Actions speak louder than words and your actions scream ego Barry.

…

He’s trying to scare people about social security. WE NEED TO FIX SOCIAL SECURITY. Stop lying about privatization and scaring Senior Citizens that their social security checks will go away. Their’s will not, BUT MINE WILL, if you won’t stop playing politics with it and allow Social Security be changed/invested/privitized for other almost 30-somethings like myself. So much for change.

…

Brian Williams reminded us when Obama finished that today was the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. I’m glad he reminded us of that, because really I had no idea. It’s not like any of the networks, media or other pundits clued us in on that fact. Except for that one person on ABC’s Good Morning America this morning who called it “Providence” that Obama would accept the nomination on the anniversary of Dr. King’s speech… I really had no idea.

Of course Dr. King dreamed that people would be judged by the content of the character. But Obama doesn’t want that. Time and time again he brushes off questions of his character with lies or accusations of racism or scare tactics. Of course the media miss all of that and only judge him on the color of his skin… exactly what Dr. King spoke against.

…

Many great, scary people gave great speeches too. Populism turns into Marxism… and the “history” was certainly made tonight. Elect this man and America will surely change, as freedom is replaced by socialism and the dream of America fades away. Beware false idols, this man promises an America we may never recover from.

…

I guess we should go ahead and mark our calendars now. You can give up Labor Day starting in 2009 so we can have the anniversary of the Obama Barackopolis Speech as a national holiday from now on. At least it will be easy to count how many years pass after this historic occasion, trying to figure the math from 2008 will be a little difficult, so according to Spike Lee, next year can just be 0001.

Around 9:40pm Eastern Time Barney Smith, a “real” American, addressed Invesco Field tonight. In Barney’s “real” American story, you learned that he lost his job to an overseas worker in 2000 and that it was George Bush’s fault. Barney Smith lost his job because George Bush cared more about Smith Barney than he did Barney Smith.

Of course Harry Reid, and the rest of the Obama Lemmings whose rose to their feet applauding Barney missed one little detail… George Bush wasn’t inaugurated until January 2001. Unless he filled the Flux-Capacitor and floored his Delorian back a year, I’m not sure how President Bush could have cost dear old Barney his job.

Facts are pesky little things for the Democrats plauged by Bush Derangement Syndrome. I guess they don’t really matter with the Obamamessiah waiting in the Barackopolis wings.

CORRECTION? So either my wife and I heard Barney wrong (maybe), Barney misspoke (more likely), or this article is inaccurate… but it seems that Barney might just have lost his job in 2004 not 2000. To bad we gave up Tivo so we can’t go back and check. I guess it must have been George Bush’s fault that Barney lost his job after all. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the decline in demand for the cathode ray tube televisions that Barney was making. Do they even sell those anymore?

There is no doubt that Political Science courses will be studying this election for generations to come. That’s a bit unnerving considering the liberal bias of most professors, but nonetheless history will be the judge of whether this ad is a brilliant move by the McCain camp. I’m not sure, it just might be, although I wish they waited to release it a little closer to speech time.

As Obama is about to descend from the Barackoplis, and speak unto the Lemmings… the McCain Veepstakes is coming to a close.  Money says Pawlenty, but I’m still hoping for Palin.

According to Spike Lee, Barack Obama’s ascendance to the DNC nomination has changed the world:

You can divide history. BB Before Barack. AB After Barack.

For Spike Lee’s sake, let us hope this is the first and last year of AB.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  (Exodus 20:3)

The Lemmings are unhinged as a journalist actually looks into and discusses Barack Obama’s connection with terrorist William Ayers. Their connection is a bit more than just living in the same “neighborhood“.

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