Anchorage Daily News

Where's the Outsider outrage?

I find it very interesting that the standard method for defeating initiatives in Alaska has been to claim "Outsiders are trying to tell us how to run our state; don't let that happen!" This year it helped defeat the clean water initiative and the aerial wolf shooting initiative.

Where is the outcry from Republicans about the "Outsiders" from Washington, namely the McCain campaign, who have managed to convince the nation that a bipartisan investigation into abuse of power by our governor was the work of the Democrats? Shame on them.

Shame on Sarah Palin for going back on every promise she has made to cooperate in this investigation. She has participated in the slandering of loyal public servants who have served Alaska for years without a taint of scandal. Is this the Sarah Palin we elected governor? I think not. She has absorbed the Bush/Cheney playbook like a sponge. Is this the an example of how she is going to clean up Washington and do things differently? It sure sounds like more of the same to me!

-- Michael Kaplan

Eagle River

Palin is George Bush in a skirt

Despite all the saber rattling about bringing change to Washington, a Sarah Palin vice presidency, or, shudder, presidency would give us exactly what we have now -- George Bush, but in a skirt. Our country can't stand another year of ill-prepared, bull headed, and dumbed-down leadership. We'd get the same itchy trigger finger and zealous 'mission from God' with no worldly insight. A McCain/Palin win would no doubt be good for Alaska but I have to take my voting directive right from the podium at the Republican convention -- "Country First." I'll be voting for Obama/Biden in November.

-- Steve Aberle

Anchorage

ADN's intolerance is showing

I am not a Palin-bot, and I admit that I have some concerns about her as well as with the other candidates, none of whom is perfect.

I am personally insulted by your editorial's statement that teaching creationism (alongside the theory of evolution) is a "backwards view." You go on to call Palin an extremist because she stands up for what she believes in (the right to life).

I imagine when Palin said she was against "explicit" sex-ed programs she was referring to teachers demonstrating contraceptive techniques by putting a condom on a banana or a broom handle. I personally believe that abstinence-until-marriage should be taught in schools along with responsible sex-ed classes.

You state that these views fall to the right of the mainstream. I believe the silent majority will disagree. Your intolerance of any views other than your own is apparent.

-- Tamara Reiser

Homer

After airline ruckus, take the bus

A thought, after reading about another Alaska political faux pas, Sen. McGuire's recent flight from Juneau to Anchorage: Maybe next time she should take the bus and she can stash a whole liter of wine in her purse, and text on her BlackBerry.

-- Bud Blakemore

Anchorage

So where is Vic Vickers now?

I wonder, does Vic Vickers still live in Alaska?

-- Ed Steiner

Kenai

Your vote is important, so use your mind instead of your heart

I'm writing to encourage voters to use your right to educate yourselves about the issues.

Ignore the lobbyist financed commercials; turn off your TVs, go online to a reliable source and read about the candidates, their voting records, their ideas about health care, jobs, insurance, the solutions they envision.

Use your mind, not your heart.

We're in dire straights. Capitalism, the basis of a democracy, is collapsing while we ponder, where has all the money gone?

There isn't a quick fix pill, and the average person couldn't afford it if there was.

Think peace, prosperity for all, think for yourselves and don't be bought as our politicians have been.

You have a voice and a choice regarding the world that your children and grandchildren will encounter.

Will it be a just world with enlightened conversations leading to peaceful diplomacy, peace and harmony for all sentient beings, alternatives for the energy crisis? Or just more stuff for those who want it bad enough to take it?

This is the most important box you ever filled in. Make it count.

-- Susan Grace Blandin

Palmer

It's a dangerous pick at the polls

Who is more dangerous? A U.S. president without experience or a vice president without experience?

-- Aharon Sternberg

Anchorage

Palin could be catalyst for US

Sarah Palin may well be the best thing to happen to Republicans and America in a long time. This bunny that Mr. McCain has pulled out of his political hat secures his reputation as a world-class magician. The trick is flawless. The audience is dumbfounded. No one knows how he did it. And yet, this sleight of hand is only the beginning of something truly marvelous.

America has been split irrevocably between Red and Blue. The deadlock is complete and solid. There is at present no politician who can hold sway against his or her own party without risking being ostracized and losing any potency he or she may have acquired by getting elected. Bloc voting rules. It is self-perpetuating and self-sanctifying, and unbreakable.

Until now, maybe. Now, any Republican who finds this nominee an irresponsible choice and is unable to vote for Sarah as vice president, will have to vote outside of the party, even if it means voting Democrat. If Democratic women feel the need to vote for a woman, they are welcome to vote Republican.

Could this Sarah really be the miracle catalyst America needs to finally dissolve the Red-Blue stranglehold our political system has somehow managed to lock us into? Perhaps God really does intervene in mysterious ways.

-- Ken Green

Cooper Landing

Let's dissect Obama some more

Let's not discriminate: Now that the Democrats have cleaned out Sarah Palin's closets and personal history, I would love to hear a little about "Obama's" wandering around the wards of Chicago. It must be nice to make $4.2 million while spending the whole year traveling all over the world politicking and spending almost no time in Washington.

I too spent almost 20 years listening to fire and brimstone ministers in my youth, but I never ever heard one of them say what Rev. Wright said about America.

-- Paul D. Morrison

Kenai

Let Palin finish what she started in Alaska before heading to D.C.

I would have voted for John McCain in 2000, but in the last eight years he has changed from a "straight talking Maverick" to a "business as usual" Bush Republican.

More frightening than his election is what would happen if, God forbid, he should become incapacitated or worse.

I am an Alaskan, who although I didn't vote for Sarah Palin, believes she has been a decent governor. I think the "troopergate" issue is a crock. She was right about Trooper Wooten, and she offered Monegan another prestigious job in the administration. At any rate, it was her right to fire him if she so desired.

That being said, the thought of Sarah becoming president in the current state of our country and the world absolutely terrifies me. Who would be her advisers, the Bush crew who has been brainwashing her, oops, "cramming her" on the economy and all of the other dire pitfalls ahead of us?

Our next president is inheriting a hornet's nest that will require the best of the best to get us out of the horrible position the Bush administration, and yes, the Republicans have put us in. I believe Obama's and Biden's combined abilities, strengths, diplomacy and desire to right the wrongs of the last eight years are real, sincere and what our country needs right now.

Let Sarah finish the job and the projects she has started that are so important to the State of Alaska. She's intelligent, charming and motivated, and in another few years will be able to run for president in her own right.

-- Coraene Brown

Chugiak

Palin up to speed on one thing

Sarah Palin has clearly demonstrated that she has at least one of the skills needed to be VP -- she knows how to claim executive privilege!

-- Tina DeLapp

Anchorage

Sucked in by the Dark Side, she is

Watching Sarah Palin on the Republican national stage is like watching Luke Skywalker getting tempted by the Dark Side, except that she's not resisting. Quite the contrary, she has totally embraced the values she started out being against. Who could believe that the Alaska version of Karl Rove, Randy Ruedrich, would be organizing campaign rallies for her? Or that she would hire people to smear the reputation of an outstanding public servant like Walt Monegan? Or try to stonewall an investigation into her "open government?"

Like the past eight years of the Bush administration, to understand her now, you need to reverse the meaning of everything she says. If she says she's for openness, she's really means closed. If she's says someone was bad, that person really was good. If she says she is for you, you had better keep an eye on your wallet, health care, retirement, and schools. Want more of the Bush style administration?

Sarah now sadly fits right in.

-- Mark Wolbers

Anchorage

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