Arkansas Politics

Thompson: McCain Cements Hold on Arkansas

The inimitable Doug Thompson at the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas reads the tea leaves on John McCain’s VP selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and declares that the “conservative darling” will lock up Arkansas for John McCain.

Thompson also deals with The Experience Question:

The argument that choosing Palin undermines McCain’s claim on the importance of experience doesn’t wash.

Palin’s profoundly inexperienced. What’s sobering is that she’s made more tough calls as governor of Alaska in two years than Obama’s made significant or tough votes in the Senate floor in four. Obama brags about going after big business then votes for the telecommunications immunity bill and belatedly backs offshore drilling. Palin fights the oil industry in Alaska and takes no prisoners even when one of her foes employs her husband. (Emphasis added)

Ouch. Columnist John Brummett is skeptical of the Palin pick, which is understandable, but then he gives away the game when he notes twice in a single column that McCain is 72 years old, illustrating that he’s essentially serving as a mouthpiece for Friday’s Democratic Party talking points.

Meanwhile, Stephens Media Washington reporter Aaron Sadler rounds up additional response from Arkansas Republican types, some of whom are practically hyperventilating from the Palin pick, given how long it’s been since they’ve had anything to be excited about.

Around the Arkansas blogosphere: The arch-conservative Arkansas Journal blogger is gleeful. The Red State Conservative blog likes Palin’s anti-corruption record. The Tolbert Report (yes, that’s what I’m calling it from now on) is equally delighted, and Arkansas Project contributor Freeman Hunt pronounces herself “extremely pleased with this unexpected outcome” at her home base blog.

On the other side of fence, Blake Rutherford at the Think Tank is measured in his response as he pours a bit of cold water on Palinmania, analyzing the McCain camp’s “process of elimination” that led to the choice and arguing that it might end up being a poor pick.

And if you were planning to spend the entire holiday weekend clicking on links and reading up on everything ever written about Palin, you should really be over at Lance Turner’s blog.

Please follow and like us:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Arkansas Project