McCain-Palin Town Hall in Michigan

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 06:48:36 PM EST
Tags: John McCain, Sarah Palin (all tags)

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CNN just aired the McCain Palin Michigan town forum live here. (Link no longer working since it's over.) I caught the last ten minutes or so.

Question by young woman on health care. McCain answered that Government run health care is not in the best interest of Americans.

He favors a $5k refundable tax credit for people to get the health plan they, not their employer, chooses. He favors Community health centers, outcome- based treatment, instead of paying for evey conceivable test, we cover people for a year. Stresses wellness and fitness, citing an increase in child obesity. He will reward you when you succeed.

More...

We shouldn't force people to go to emergency rooms

Question to Palin on her foreign policy experience, what skills does she have? I am prepared and if we are so blessed to be sworn in, I'll be ready. If you want to ask specific questions, go ahead and ask, play stump the candidate.

McCain takes over to defend her (and of course, preventing specific questions.) He references an energy accomplishment of Palin's, says she's commander of the Alaska National Guard and has a son is in Iraq. He adds (paraphrase), "So I think she understands our foreign policy situation. She is absolutely and totally qualified to address every issue that may face the Vice President."

He ends with saying we need Michigan's vote. Palin then adds "there is only one man in this race who has fought for you and that's John McCain. We need your help on Nov. 4."

She then lapses into her by now familiar Rah-rah-rah stump talk, "No more politics as usual, we're going to, as John McCain says, drain the swamp, we will win the war and secure our nation, You are proud Americans, I'm proud to be running with John McCain."

The end.

Update: Someone should take her up on her challenge to play, in her words, "Stump the Candidate" and ask her about any country and foreign policy issues.

On the one hand, it's likely she's been using flash cards and been spending her plane time being prepped to the gills, but on the other, it's quite arrogant for her to suggest that in the two weeks since she's become a nominee, she's gone from not understanding what the Vice President does on a daily basis and not having focused on Iraq to portraying herself as an expert with all the answers. Just a joke.

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McCain-Palin Town Hall in Michigan | 18 comments (18 topical)

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It would be so good (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Steve M on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 06:58:09 PM EST

if someone would just point out at one of these things that McCain has received health care from the government his entire life. "Not in the best interests of Americans," indeed.

Tax credits (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by ChuckieTomato on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 07:30:41 PM EST

What good is a tax credit to a homeless person or the unemployed or any one that didn't file a return. Unless he is just going to mail them a 5000k check

Sounds like a great plan


: Haven't You Heard? (none / 0) (#14)
by Linda Liberty on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 08:26:08 PM EST

Homeless people and unemployed people don't count in the republican view. If the Gov't has no where to send your tax credit, then, hey, more money for the Gov't!

One other item (5.00 / 5) (#9)
by ChuckieTomato on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 07:39:00 PM EST

I believe his plan calls for a 2500 tax credit for singles and 5000 for families. Try getting a health insurance plan for that amount if you or a family member have cancer.

Good luck with that.


: You couldn't get a decent plan (5.00 / 4) (#11)
by shoephone on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 08:00:10 PM EST

for that amount even without cancer. And try being self-employed and looking for health insurance.
John Sidney McCain: Permanently out of touch with the real lives of real Americans.

: Yeah, that pays for about... (none / 0) (#19)
by sj on Thu Sep 18, 2008 at 01:04:58 AM EST

... oh maybe 3 and half month's worth of premiums through my employer

I just took a man tonight (5.00 / 3) (#16)
by prose on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 09:10:08 PM EST

to get his meds. He had literally 1 dollar. I provided the other 7 for his generic pills. He has NO money to pay his bill for glasses, or for the back specialist he needs to see tomorrow.

His insurance alone will cost him over 10 grand a year and he doesn't currently pay ANY income tax.

What does McCain propose for my friend Gary? People like me coming around a lot, I guess.

McCain's policy proposals are an absolute joke.


And McCain received it free of charge (none / 0) (#4)
by befuddledvoter on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 07:05:29 PM EST

didn't he??


Once Again (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by Linda Liberty on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 08:22:28 PM EST

Once again Republicans, this time represented by McCain and Palin, show that they have nary a clue as to the problems faced by most Americans. Of course, McCain doesn't think national healthcare is good for the American people. It might COST something more than $5k per household. Remember, this is the same man who thinks insurance should cover Viagra, but not birth control pills! And Palin saying, "If we're so blessed..." I say keep your religion where it belongs: in your heart, in your home and in your house of worship and nowhere else in our (thankfully, so far, anyway) secular society!

Did they say whether this alleged town hall (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Christy1947 on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 08:57:20 PM EST

meeting was another invitations-only meeting? The whole premise of 'town halls' is that every resident attends, not just the ones of your own party. Perhaps Republican-only town halls is the kind of town halls McC had in mind for O to come to, when he decided he had the right to lie since O wouldn't come.

Go ahead and fill me in (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by CMike on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 09:39:53 PM EST

Jeralyn writes:

... she's gone from not understanding what the Vice-President does on a daily basis...

The Constitution allows the Vice-President to preside over Senate sessions if the office-holder cares to (though they rarely do) and to cast a deciding vote in the case of a tie vote in the Senate (which rarely occurs) and certify the Electoral College vote once every four years. The modern Vice-President is an official member of the National Security Council which meets according to no set schedule.

Other than to be available in case of the incapacitation of the President, the Vice-President has no official day to day responsibilities. The role of the Vice-President is determined by each President. When someone is asked whether or not they would like to serve as Vice-President it seems quite reasonable that that person would want to know what would be the day to day responsibilities of the job and their role in the yet to be formed administration.

Then again maybe that's not the right response. Maybe we'd rather hear our politicians answer the question of, "do you want to be Vice-President?," with something along the lines of, "Hell yes, there's always a chance the President will croak."

P.S. Remember, "He who is running for the presidency and might benefit from members of the opposing ticket taking a pop quiz might suffer from he, himself, publicly taking the same pop quiz."

I didn't watch it, but did McCain really (none / 0) (#1)
by steviez314 on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 06:54:09 PM EST

add the "her son in Iraq" thing to her FP credentials, along with the Alaska National Guard thing?

My son works for a computer company. Make me CEO of Apple.

He sure did (none / 0) (#2)
by Jeralyn on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 06:56:59 PM EST

First he gave an energy accomplishment, then said the National Guard, then she has a son who just left for Iraq. She's qualified.


So, every mother of a son or daughter in (none / 0) (#5)
by befuddledvoter on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 07:06:23 PM EST

Iraq is, therefore, qualified to be VP?? GAWD!!


The McPalin Cabinet (none / 0) (#10)
by landjjames on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 07:55:47 PM EST

I've been having a wonderful time playing "Name the McPalin Cabinet" in my head. I've named friends/family/celebrities to various positions based on McPalinesque credentials. I lived in Brussels for two years, Beijing for one and currently live close enough to the Canadian border to cross it every day if I want - I'm Secretary of State. My husband spent 22 years in the Marine Corps so he's taking on Veterans Affairs. A friend in Montana is an engineer on a train so he gets Transportation. Another friend is a school nurse so I'm putting her in charge of Health and Human Services. The most qualified though is Stephen Spielberg. He directed Saving Private Ryan so he's going to be Secretary of Defence. I'm stuck on the Department of the Interior. Do any of you have the qualifications?


: I live in Colorado... (5.00 / 0) (#18)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 10:53:10 PM EST

...and just last weekend was in the mountains were there are public lands, mines, water-sheds and wildlife.
I'm probably too over-qualified for a Palin cabinet position.

Only if (none / 0) (#13)
by Linda Liberty on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 08:24:16 PM EST

VP stands for very perturbed!


I went to France (none / 0) (#6)
by MTSINAIMAMA on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 07:07:58 PM EST

Therefore I guess I could be the President of France.