Sarah Palin: '80s Sports Babe

[Campaign '08] Went looking for that beauty pageant swimsuit footage, found this instead. How's the ozone layer up there?



(Bill Frost)

Palin Opened Up, So Let's Dig In

[Palin Powered] Short and sweet, here are a few thoughts about Sarah Barracuda Palin and her v.p. acceptance speech at the RNC last night:

1. Masterful speech. Delegates and more importantly, the rest of the country, finally learned something of the mystery candidate from Wasilla, Alaska. She was gritty, personable and managed to come across as EveryWoman. Thanks, McCain speechwriters!

2. Like the three who came before her, Romney, Huckabee and Giuliani, Palin was snide and shitty toward Barack Obama and woefully stuck in the '80s. (To wit: Mike Huckabee's joke about a costume change at a Madonna concert. Cutting edge Republican humor!)

3. Finally, I hope this puts to rest any questions/attacks about Palin's potential ability of serving as a vice president while being a mother. I'm sick of reporters and political adversaries even bringing that up. Start asking male candidates the same question, start measuring their time and effort with their children and then we'll talk.

4. Besides, the focus on Palin's family and her skills at balancing work and family is merely superficial crap. From now until Election Day, the national press should have more than enough challenge in tracking down her record in Alaska. Twenty months as governor--of Alaska for hell's sake--shouldn't be too tough to scrutinize. I hope the press--always the convenient whipping boy among the right-wing-- is fanning out across the 49th state, stalking Palin's record and political history like a Kodiak bear after a fat salmon. Hey--she stood up last night and laid her record out to the world. She opened a window; now the media have an open door.

Meanwhile, read this from a formerly undecided voter on the Palin effect.

Oh, and while the Republicans remember her well you might not. Above, that's Madonna, from the '80s film Desperately Seeking Susan. The horror! (Holly Mullen)