I was just going over some Palin interviews...

[TwixVoy]

and I still wonder where the hell she came from and WHY she was selected.

I don't think the real reason for her being on the ticket will be known for years. I mean from the first minute you can tell she is a moron. Obviously NOT qualified to be VP let alone president.

She was obviously not chosen based on her qualifications. I hope one day we figure out exactly what the hell the repubs were trying to pull by putting her on the ticket. I just find it incredible.

[ogneopasno]

1. Two words: Boo. Bees.

[TwixVoy]

2. I don't believe it

there are plenty of others that looked good AND had a brain that could have been chosen.

[ogneopasno]

6. They didn't want brains; that combo would have shown up McCain and made him look even feebler.

Republicans don't like smart, brainy women, but if they want to start winning again, they'll find one for 2012 and run the hell out of her.

[valerief]

3. LOL. Reminds me of an old joke that went something like there were three women up for

a secretarial job, a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead. When asked, "What's your most impressive skill?" the blonde answered, "Typing," the brunette answered, "Stenography," and the redhead answered, "Filing." Which one got the job? The one with the big tits.

[90-percent]

4. summoning my long term DU memories

which means three weeks ago or so there was a DU link to a New Yorker (Atlantic?) story about how she came to be chosen.

The always spot on Bill Krystol organized a "Conservate Cruise" up to Alaska and meet Sarah a couple years ago. He was so impressed with her political credentials, he led the Republican Conservative charge to force her nomination.

Approximately. Should be EZ to confirm on the internets.

-90% jimmy

[tosh]

15. This one?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=146x6024

[Crankie Avalon]

5. I thought we already knew? To generate enthusiasm among evangelical nutjobs...

...and try to cynically appeal to any small segement of Hillary supporters who would only vote for someone because she is a woman.

[valerief]

7. I think it was the hand of Dobson that put her there. Maybe McCain

got an offer he couldn't refuse. Like maybe he didn't want to be Wellstoned. Maybe he's just stupid. We'll never know for sure.

[hamsterjill]

8. James Dobson, et al

I believe she was picked by the religious right and that the McCain campaign was pretty much forced to put her on the ticket in order to appease "the base" (i.e., the crazies).

She fits right in with that crowd, doesn't she? She's clueless and would have been easily manipulated by a perceived spiritual leader should she actually have made it into office.

[Marlana]

I agree with you.

I fully believe she was put on the ticket to appeal to the religious right since they didn't like McCain.

[PDJane]

9. The faith-based bunch.

blessed by god, and all that.

Filled with the holy spirit. Etc., etc., etc..

[CJCRANE]

10. It was an impulsive pick, a gamble, a throw of the dice.

Just look at McCain's behavior throughout his campaign, he likes to fly by the seat of his pants.

[gratuitous]

11. Why?

I don't think there is a grand unifying theory to explain the selection of Sarah Palin. There are several reasons, in my opinion. One is the misguided appeal to disappointed Hilary Clinton supporters. Cracked, to be sure. But in some part of the Republican brain, one woman is just as good or just as bad as another woman.

Related to that was the cynical motive that Republicans just can't seem to break themselves from: You didn't get Clinton? Poor babies. Here's another woman! You'll like her. She's a woman, too! Interchangeable, see?

Another was that the base had to be appeased. The news leaking out of the corpse of the McCain campaign is that McCain wanted Lieberman, but that wouldn't have worked with the base because Lieberman is pro-choice. They needed to energize the base and they needed someone anti-choice. Palin had all the qualifications for that, particularly just having birthed a Down Syndrome baby. What, of course, went unnoticed, was that nobody cared. Abortion as a wedge issue is losing its steam. Pro-choice has lost a lot of ground, but it's time for us to move forward on women's health and indeed the national health.

There was the "surprise!" factor as well. The choice attracted a lot of attention and stole much of the spotlight away from the Democratic National Convention. Of course, this being a Republican gimmick, they didn't look down the road for what would happen the day after the novelty wore off, and Sarah Palin actually had to start campaigning and answering questions and stuff.

Those are just four off the top of my head. There are surely more reasons, but I think it's bound up with the usual Republican cynicism, short-sightedness and manipulation of the process.

[wiggs]

12. google palin and kristol and neocons. She's a neocon pick getting

ready in case she's needed in 2012 or 2016. This election was an investment in the future for the pnac'rs, in case the GOP wants to head to the right at some point.

Kristol found her a few years ago.

[arcadian]

16. I tend to agree, Palin was an investment in the future.

They knew McLame couldn't pull it off. Why not give some face time to an upstart? 4-8 years of Obama will have the racist, bigotted republican base frothing at the mouth for a Sara Palin next time around.

[woo me with science]

17. Scary as hell.

She is stupid enough to do anything they want her to. Apparently they just didn't count on the personality disorder.

[GoneOffShore]

13. It was in no way an "impulsive" pick - Read the New Yorker article here

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/27/081027fa_fact_mayer

[woo me with science]

14. It is damned scary that she got as far as she did. nt