The McCain-Palin campaign states that their goal is to put country first. I would want to know what they mean by that in contrast to the Obama-Biden campaign? The Obama-Biden campaign slogan is "change you can believe in." This is in contrast to the last eight years of how the Bush administration had done a lot of changes but they are viewed as ones that are in contrast to the Constitution of the United States. So Obama-Biden what's change that as America's we can believe in it, lawful changes that support our nation versus making changes that undermine the people of this nation.
With the "country first" slogan of the McCain-Palin, there is the idea of the country is before the law. They should do what they think is right for the country regardless of how it effects the citizens. With this, it is clear the McCain campaign seeks to continue the same policies of the Bush-Cheney administration.
A question I would like to ask Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is this, Your campaign slogan is "Country First," would you agree that you should have that view at all times as a public official or is it right to put "God first" at times as a public official?
I feel that as a public official your religious views have no place in the public square at any time. But then, I am not running for Vice President.
The Skeptic's Guide to The Universe
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Palin's Body Language Speaks
Since we [the American people] have not been privy to an in depth interview with Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin prior to Tonight's exclusive interview with ABC News's Charlie Gibson, we must take to examining her verbal and none verbal clues. Looking at portions of the interview it is clear that she is ready to give an answer that she fills answers the question. Having worked in journalism and done interviews and covered interviews myself, their are certain clues to pick up and read that are not easy to see across the screen as a viewer.
One thing is the fast response to the questions, While this may appear as confident, it is also a sign of control. She may not know what she is being asked but knows she must say something. Her words are formed in a way to exert control and to convey that the person that she is talking to understands that she means what she says. This can be good but a person with to much self confidence may not be willing to view an issue of problem in its totality.
Compare how she speaks as to how Joe Biden, John McCain and Barok Obama speak when asked a question. The have a short pause for the most part and are somewhat thoughtful about their answer. A technique used in interviews is to ask a question and then give the person all the time they wish to answer it. This is how one finds out information about what the interview is about. People do not like there to be empty space between. If you do not reply, the person will continue to talk until you indicate you have another question. A person that answers to quickly, may view them self as either more knowledgeable than the person asking the question, I would have a hard time accepting that Sarah Palin knows more about Politics than Charlie Gibson, or they are not sure what to say and will just answer what they feels makes the most sense.
Being the Vice President of the United states is not a class that you have to ace in college or a nice way to show you are a person of character. It is a reflection of the character of our country. One should be familiar with the history and the dynamics that makes up our nation.
Moving on the Palin's body language, the way she was using her arms and hands and shoulders indicate that she was trying to convince Charlie Gibson that he should accept her answers because she was saying them. With the hands together pointing at Gibson and her back arched toward Gibson she was trying to use the presence of her body as a way to reenforce her words. This is done often by person's that do not feel they can rely upon their words to make a coherent case for what they have to say and try to use the body to enforce what they are saying.
With Palin's mode of speech and the use of her body language we will continue to see her give fast answers and seem to be dynamic but she is really unsure and unfamiliar with what she is talking about. In my view.
One thing is the fast response to the questions, While this may appear as confident, it is also a sign of control. She may not know what she is being asked but knows she must say something. Her words are formed in a way to exert control and to convey that the person that she is talking to understands that she means what she says. This can be good but a person with to much self confidence may not be willing to view an issue of problem in its totality.
Compare how she speaks as to how Joe Biden, John McCain and Barok Obama speak when asked a question. The have a short pause for the most part and are somewhat thoughtful about their answer. A technique used in interviews is to ask a question and then give the person all the time they wish to answer it. This is how one finds out information about what the interview is about. People do not like there to be empty space between. If you do not reply, the person will continue to talk until you indicate you have another question. A person that answers to quickly, may view them self as either more knowledgeable than the person asking the question, I would have a hard time accepting that Sarah Palin knows more about Politics than Charlie Gibson, or they are not sure what to say and will just answer what they feels makes the most sense.
Being the Vice President of the United states is not a class that you have to ace in college or a nice way to show you are a person of character. It is a reflection of the character of our country. One should be familiar with the history and the dynamics that makes up our nation.
Moving on the Palin's body language, the way she was using her arms and hands and shoulders indicate that she was trying to convince Charlie Gibson that he should accept her answers because she was saying them. With the hands together pointing at Gibson and her back arched toward Gibson she was trying to use the presence of her body as a way to reenforce her words. This is done often by person's that do not feel they can rely upon their words to make a coherent case for what they have to say and try to use the body to enforce what they are saying.
With Palin's mode of speech and the use of her body language we will continue to see her give fast answers and seem to be dynamic but she is really unsure and unfamiliar with what she is talking about. In my view.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Who is Sarah Palin?
It has been a week since the nation and the world has heard and began to learn about the Republican Vice President candidate Sarah Palin. She first hit the national radar back in 2006 when the embattled Alaska Governor was Frank Murkowski was facing re-election. Even reports from her home state at the time state how little she was known in statewide politics. According to Kyle Hopkins of the Anchorage Daily News, “Incumbent Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski and two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles have been in the public eye for years but some of their opponents, while popular, are still a mystery to many voters.”
On the race 2006 race Palin goes on to state in the candidate questionnaire, “Palin said she has smoked marijuana -- remember, it was legal under state law, she said, even if illegal under U.S. law -- but says she didn't like it and doesn't smoke it now.” [1]
It seems the more one looks into this candidate the more hypocrisy comes to the surface. With the issue of her family taken off the table, which I agree with, Palin has more than enough issue to impugn her to the general American electorate. It may be repeating some of the recent issue but just to summarize.
Palin is currently under investigation in the Alaska statehouse over the firing of Alaska’s Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan when he refused to fire her former brother-in-law concerning reports of a “nasty” custody battle with her sister. The facts concerning this involved alleged harassing threats from her former brother-in-law Mike Wooten and court orders for protection from him by Palin’s sister.
Palin has been linked to the secessionist party Alaska Independence Part [AIP]. During a recent convention held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Vice Chairman of the AIP Lester Martin, talked about how Governor Palin was a supporter of their cause and even attended a statewide event held in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. Whether she was an actually member of the party is still up for discovery but it is clear that both her and her husband attended a key meeting of the AIP in 1994 according to the AIP reports.
Why is this significant? The AIP has it as one of it points that Alaska was not properly permitted to join the United States and feel that the rightful status of Alaska is as a free and Independent nation. Their motto from their web site is “Alaska First, Alaska Always”, which doesn’t seem to follow well with Sen. John McCain’s campaign slogan of “America First.” They both cannot be first.[2]
Moving along to the next issue of Sarah Palin’s, Her former home church, Wasilla Assembly of God, was the place where Palin gave a speech where she was speaking to a class of recent “Master’s Commission” class. It seems the MC graduates are “sent out” in Alaska to convert others to their form of beliefs. Palin mention’s in her speech [3] to them concerning the Iraq War that we need to make sure that we are fighting for God’s cause and that we will only put our self in harms way following God’s plan. The entire speech is available on line as of this date to review. Palin feels that it is right to use the military members of this country to fight what she says is a war according to “God’s plan.”
To summarize, John McCain has selected a person that is under question of misusing her office, former marijuana smoker, supports those that want Alaska to be it’s own nation, believes that the war in Iraq is God’s plan, she is against same sex rights, is strongly opposed to abortion. She says she is pro-contraception but little more about what she means by that is found.
This article does leave out some of the positive aspects of Palin’s political career. Continued research is being done in that issue.
1. http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html
2. # http://www.akip.org/
3. # http://www.yutuobe.com/watch?v=L4LjsfWbZLA&feature=related
On the race 2006 race Palin goes on to state in the candidate questionnaire, “Palin said she has smoked marijuana -- remember, it was legal under state law, she said, even if illegal under U.S. law -- but says she didn't like it and doesn't smoke it now.” [1]
It seems the more one looks into this candidate the more hypocrisy comes to the surface. With the issue of her family taken off the table, which I agree with, Palin has more than enough issue to impugn her to the general American electorate. It may be repeating some of the recent issue but just to summarize.
Palin is currently under investigation in the Alaska statehouse over the firing of Alaska’s Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan when he refused to fire her former brother-in-law concerning reports of a “nasty” custody battle with her sister. The facts concerning this involved alleged harassing threats from her former brother-in-law Mike Wooten and court orders for protection from him by Palin’s sister.
Palin has been linked to the secessionist party Alaska Independence Part [AIP]. During a recent convention held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Vice Chairman of the AIP Lester Martin, talked about how Governor Palin was a supporter of their cause and even attended a statewide event held in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. Whether she was an actually member of the party is still up for discovery but it is clear that both her and her husband attended a key meeting of the AIP in 1994 according to the AIP reports.
Why is this significant? The AIP has it as one of it points that Alaska was not properly permitted to join the United States and feel that the rightful status of Alaska is as a free and Independent nation. Their motto from their web site is “Alaska First, Alaska Always”, which doesn’t seem to follow well with Sen. John McCain’s campaign slogan of “America First.” They both cannot be first.[2]
Moving along to the next issue of Sarah Palin’s, Her former home church, Wasilla Assembly of God, was the place where Palin gave a speech where she was speaking to a class of recent “Master’s Commission” class. It seems the MC graduates are “sent out” in Alaska to convert others to their form of beliefs. Palin mention’s in her speech [3] to them concerning the Iraq War that we need to make sure that we are fighting for God’s cause and that we will only put our self in harms way following God’s plan. The entire speech is available on line as of this date to review. Palin feels that it is right to use the military members of this country to fight what she says is a war according to “God’s plan.”
To summarize, John McCain has selected a person that is under question of misusing her office, former marijuana smoker, supports those that want Alaska to be it’s own nation, believes that the war in Iraq is God’s plan, she is against same sex rights, is strongly opposed to abortion. She says she is pro-contraception but little more about what she means by that is found.
This article does leave out some of the positive aspects of Palin’s political career. Continued research is being done in that issue.
1. http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html
2. # http://www.akip.org/
3. # http://www.yutuobe.com/watch?v=L4LjsfWbZLA&feature=related
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