MONACA, Pennsylvania - Barack Obama distanced himself on Friday from his campaign’s initially critical statement about his rival John McCain’s choice of first-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.
McCain, a 72-year-old veteran Republican senator from Arizona, picked a political unknown and self-described “hockey mom” who will become the first woman Republican vice presidential candidate.
When the surprise decision was announced, Obama was on the tarmac at a Denver airport preparing to depart for a bus tour in the industrial Midwest with his running mate, Joe Biden. The Democratic candidate had just made history by becoming the first black to accept a major-party presidential nomination.
His spokesman, Bill Burton, issued a statement suggesting Palin was too inexperienced to be vice president. “Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency,” it said.
The McCain campaign quickly shot back that it was “audacious” for aides to the 47-year-old first-term Illinois senator to accuse Palin of inexperience.
Later in the day, Obama told reporters that the campaign’s early statement was “hair-trigger” and did not reflect his sentiments.
“I haven’t met her before. She seems like a compelling person. Obviously, a terrific story, personal story,” he said while touring a biodiesel plant in Monaca, Pennsylvania.
Obama said the choice of Palin was “one more indicator of this country moving forward” and a hit against the glass ceiling that has limited women’s advancement.
In a phone call to Palin, Obama told her he thought she would be a terrific candidate and wished her luck “but not too much luck,” according to Robert Gibbs, his senior adviser.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/John Gress (McCain stands with his vice presidential running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in Dayton, Ohio, Aug. 29, 2008)
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If Sarah Palin were a Democratic candidate, who was leaving her four month old child to go on such a major campaign, thousands of miles from home, what would the Republicans be saying?
- Posted by Sheep FarmerPalin is a political rube who is being used by sexist McCain. This is an example of his rash and dangerous decision making tendencies. He has stabbed the Republican faithful in the back.
- Posted by Barbara McCallTHE AVERAGE AMERICAN WHITE MALE LIVES TO AGE 72.
Is Palin ready to be our President? No. This VP choice is a political nightmare and an insult to women. Does McCain think that the American woman would vote for Palin just because she is a woman? That she is interchangeable with women who have experience and a proven tract record? I think this just points out how he thinks of women in general as a lessor mindless class.
- Posted by NancyMcCain’s first duty would be to protect America in case of his death. DID MCCAIN MAKE AN EXECUTIVE DECISION OR A POLITICAL ONE? WOULD PALIN BE READY TO BE OUR PRESIDENT? NO!
Wow, you wouldn’t think that an ‘inexperienced’, ‘uneducated’ and ‘pathetic’ choice would inspire such fear and loathing from Democrats right out of the box. If it were true, it would be the Republicans who were upset, not the Democrats. You’re just confirming that he made the right choice. (Who’s pathetic?? LOL)
- Posted by Jeff Smithi wasn’t even going to vote this november after the beating hillary took, and then the total HYPOCRICY of the dem convention (i couldn’t even watch the fake smiles on the clinton’s faces, and the over-the-top pagentry). i was so disillusioned. then along came sarah. all i could think of was what a huge mistake obama made by not choosing hillary as his VP. the dems should be worried. the talking heads and the media can’t believe they might have been outmanuvered by the republicans. what might happen to their inexperienced golden boy now? his ego is so huge that he WOULDN’T consider hillary because she might actually outshine him. the whole process disgusts me. the VP spot should go the the person who had the second most votes. now that’s fair. to have to be “forced” to vote along with your party even if you don’t like the candidate (or his VP choice) is ridiculous. i think that sarah has at least as much “experience” as first-term senator obama. and she is only the VP, not the president. as far as “foreign policy experience” goes, she seems like someone who is smart (who gives a rat’s behind she did’nt go to harvard), a quick learner, interested and interesting, and at the very least….charming. this democrat doesn’t believe either presidential candidate will get much done in the first 4 years, so i’m willing to jump on sarah’s bandwagon, and give her a chance to shine in the national and international spotlight.
- Posted by kelly moranwow. lack of education is palpable in the republican department.
- Posted by oliviaboy am I glad I don’t live in America, even your elections are over-the-top, just like your people. How can the world’s superpower be such a big joke?
- Posted by Jeremy, NZ…it’s about the OIL dude!
Jesus
- Posted by Stanley Roberts