Sarah Palin Up Close and Personal , page 1

I actually think if you read this carefully, it makes Sarah Palin look even MORE positive.

Yup, I said it.

First, let's look at Anne's letter:

CLAIM VS FACT

•“Hockey mom”: true for a few years
•“PTA mom”: true years ago when her first-born was in elementary
school, not since
•“NRA supporter”: absolutely true
•social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill
that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships
(said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
•pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to
promote it.
•“Pro-life”: mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby
BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life
legislation

Am I the only one who sees this list as reassuring????

Moreover, direct from Anne's mouth, we don't have to worry about Palin ramming her religious views down our throat via the way she governs.

That's a positive. Right?

•“Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has
residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska.
No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on
supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city
administrator to run town of about 5,000.

OK, that was when she was JUST....mayor.

So "experienced" when? What happen to everything she did afterward, including being the sitting governor of the state?

This one is just strange.

•political maverick: not at all

Debatable opinion. Either way, so what?

•gutsy: absolutely!

Check. I see this as positive.

•open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at
explaining actions.

Because Palin hid a pregnancy and didn't explain all her actions to Anne?

•has a developed philosophy of public policy: no

Debatable opinion.

•”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores
and disconnected parking lots.

Did she build them all by herself? She must have been pretty busy being mayor and all.

Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.

No doubt.

•fiscal conservative: not by my definition!

What definition is that?

•pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city
without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built
streets to early 20th century standards.

A little odd, since the media reports: $27 million in federal earmarks...$500,000 for a youth shelter...another $1.9 million for a transportation hub...$900,000 for sewer repairs...and $15 million for a rail project — all intended to benefit Palin's town.

Yeah, it doesn't look like she cared much for infrastructure.

•pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on
residents
•pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city
government in Wasilla’s history.

Hard to discuss without access to some real records.

•pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union
doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim
that she is pro-labor/pro-union.

Well, it certainly wouldn't be evidence of her being ANTI-labor, right?

I think when Anne says this:

she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100
or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah's
attempt at censorship.

You're seeing the real impetus behind this. She opposed Palin on something Anne has characterized as a 'censorship' event. As mentioned in several other threads, the librarian in question has not corroborated the story. So we only have Anne's view of this.

Given her other weak assessments, I think this story too is likely meaningless.

So what does that leave us with?

An ambitious, gutsy, capable, level-headed, pragmatic, can't please everybody, conservative, hockey mom.

This email pans Palin how again???

[edit on 6-9-2008 by loam]