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Sarah Palin: An Introduction

2008-08-29 · John · watch on YouTube · US politics & society · news analysis

John introduces John McCain's surprise running mate Sarah Palin in seven points (Alaska governor, social conservative, anti-corruption, family, no foreign policy experience, Alaska-centric), with jokes, and asks Republican nerdfighters for their view.

What is said

00:00:00 — Greeting; since Hank avoids the news, John will tell him about VP nominee Sarah Palin; theme

  • ★★ John tells Hank, who does not like watching the news, what he needs to know about presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, a pick that surprised John. — 00:00:02 · Republican Party

00:00:19 — Seven things about Sarah Palin

  • ★★★ John says Sarah Palin is the 44-year-old governor of Alaska and has been governor for just under two years. — 00:00:19
  • ★★ John says that before becoming governor Palin headed the city council in Wasilla, Alaska. — 00:00:27
  • ★★★ John says Palin is reliably conservative on social issues important to the Republican base: strongly pro-life, against gay marriage and a lifelong NRA member. — 00:00:34 · Republican Party
  • ★ John notes Palin is literally a moose hunter. (playful) — 00:00:45
  • ★★★ John says that in what might be the most politically corrupt US state, Palin has a reputation for being strongly anti-corruption, a point in her favour. (hedged) — 00:00:50
  • ★ John says he briefly lived in Alaska. — 00:00:57
  • ★★ John says Palin is married to a commercial fisherman, which he counts in her favour. — 00:01:04
  • ★★ John says Palin's son Track has joined the Army and is going to Iraq, joking that the name is a political liability and the deployment an asset. (playful) — 00:01:17
  • ★ John adds that Palin's husband is a semi-professional snowmobiler who races snowmobiles. — 00:01:34
  • ★★★ John says Palin has absolutely no foreign policy experience. — 00:01:43
  • ★★★ John expects the McCain camp to say her inexperience doesn't matter because McCain has plenty; he jokes that holds only while McCain is alive, which he thought was why one picks a vice president. (playful) (hedged) — 00:01:47
  • ★★ John calls Palin a very Alaska-centric governor who, unlike governors such as Kathleen Sebelius or Rod Blagojevich, has not led on national issues. — 00:02:02
  • ★★ John is not convinced her energy policy has been influential outside Alaska, though she is very popular in Alaska. — 00:02:14

00:02:22 — Ask to (Republican) nerdfighters for views on the Palin pick; sign-off

  • ★★ John asks Nerdfighters, particularly Republican nerdfighters, to say in comments what they think of the Palin pick. — 00:02:22 · Nerdfighteria

00:02:33 — Scavenger hunt part two finished; another BlogTV live show today

  • ★★ John tells Hank the Nerdfighters finished the second part of the scavenger hunt. — 00:02:33 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John says he already did one live BlogTV show and will do another today at 3:30 pm Eastern, link in the sidebar. — 00:02:33 · BlogTV

Humor (significant)

  • John, who briefly lived in Alaska, explains why her anti-corruption reputation stands out. — 00:00:57 > «Alaska has about as many uncorrupt politicians as it has pleasant winter days»
  • John imagines McCain answering Joe Biden, whose son is going to Iraq, in poker terms. — 00:01:26 > «I raise you an Alaskan infantryman named Track.»
  • McCain's camp will say her lack of foreign policy experience is fine because McCain has loads. — 00:01:54 > «Just so long as McCain is you know, alive.»

Threads in this video

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