YOUR COMMENTS

Just thought it would be good to get the word out about free speech and the democrat party. A gentleman (Joe the plumber) asks a question when he meets Obama and instantly he is under brutal attack and hounded.
Here in Epping a very large sign (14 ft x 30 ft)with McCain/Palin on it was placed on a private building on private property on the corner of Rte 125 and Hedding Rd and last weekend someone tore it down in the middle of the night. I am sure it was not a McCain supporter. So was it someone from the democrat party? Is this the type of change they will bring?
The good news is the sign is back up and unfortunately surveillance is now set up to catch the people who promote "change" in case they decide to come back for a repeat performance.
- Kevin Murphy, Epping, NH

John McCain did Palin, the country and himself a dis-service choosing Sarah as his running mate. McCain in 72 and God willing he will to 100...but the country cannot rely on that. Sarah is clearly out of her depth and not ready to be President of the US. We already have suffered eight years with a President who clearly is out of his depth. Enough is enough.
- Gary Hankin, Tampa Florida

Dave: Palin didn't climb a ladder to get to the white house, she was given a VIP pass from McCain to ride the executive elevator. I'd like to see how she'd do in a GOP primary.
- Chip Sanders, Wilton

Sarah Palin reminds us of everything that used to be good about politics. How a regular person with American values and decency can climb the ladder and make a difference, first in her community, then her state, and possibly the entire country. Unfortunately the modern media despises 'traditional values', and through television, they have all but killed their memory in the American people. Most simply are not capable of recognizing how desperately Mrs. Palin's virtues are needed right now.
- Dave Jagodowski, Goffstown

A conservative Washington outsider who has intelligence, personality and courage is an extreme threat to the establishment and in particular to the liberal elite. The left will attempt to discredit and discount conservative political candidates who have these qualities time and again. It happened with Reagan and with Gingrich. Palin speaks directly to the people on principle rather than the media and strikes a cord. She cares more about standing up for what she believes rather than being elected. Obama stands for being elected at all costs. American institutions are being destroyed as we speak. The federal government has its hands on the financial sector and with Obama what will follow is health care, and probably oil companies. Do not equate McCain / Palin win Bush. If Bush had the guts to actually be a conservative Republican rather than a big government Neo- conservative liberal the country would have been fine.
- Vincent Caruana, Bedford NH

Cool under fire?

What do you read?

You have stated Alaska's proximity to Russia enhances your foreign policy credentials, can you explain?

Can you talk about any Supreme Court cases you disagree with?

What do you think about the bailout?

Her nonsensical answers were spun away as GOTCHA journalisn but come on people these are actually softball questions. And if Couric throws you off then what the hell will a real person with real power do to her? Will Putin give her a list of intentions beforehand? Will the Chinese send her their next Ten Year Plan ahead of time? Would Palin know the Chinese notion of a ten year plan? Does she need to?

Did the Founding Fathers work this hard to put an impishly sexual winker into the White House? Can you really defend this as a Republican? If Hillary had winked at you would you react the same way? Is it so bad in this country with the identity politics that that as long as the big capital R is behind the name the ideas, words, and actions of the person no longer matter?
- David Lucas, Tacoma, WA

How do we know Palin lost? Because the Union Leader says she won! A person who was mayor of a city the size of Jaffrey or Epping and Governor half the size of New Hampshire is simply not qualified for the most important job in the world.
- Bill, Amherst

Palin is an excellent spokesmodel, and she could sell about anything. That's what we saw, a sales pitch borderline con job.

It is the height of plain old dishonesty to say she won the debate. You can't even go near that conclusion with any ethical integrity at all, it just really disappointments that this is what we have for editorial opinion out of our largest paper here in NH.

I;ve been thinking running Parker and Krauthammer this week, where in they both deride the GOP, was something to give kudos to the UL for, but now seeing this I can safely presume the UL is CONTRACTED to run Kath & Chuck and were FORCED to run their columns.

This state has some real information issues due to this paper! We do, for the good of the nation, need to get the #1 primary out of this state!
- Tom Labrie, Rochester

People across America, both Republicans and Democrats, are deeply concerned that Sarah Palin, amazingly shallow and lacking in knowledge of the complexities of the world in which we live, would be put by John McCain into the position to become our Vice President.

Yes, she is a "quick study" in being able to memorize talking points after intense preparation. She survived the debate by being allowed to ignore questions not on her memorized list.

Why, if Governor Palin were really as qualified as you suggest, has she done so poorly when asked follow-up questions by real journalists? Why has she been nearly sequestered by her handlers in the McCain campaign?
- Stephen D. Walters, Shaker Heights, Ohio

Yes of course Sarah won the debate. Just stating the obvious. John McCain's choice of her was brilliant. It has the opponents in a complete personal attack mode as if they are ever in any other.
- Tony Fallon, Strafford, New Hampshire

The Union leader must have been watching the Bizarro alternate universe version of the debate. Most, if not all, polls showed a majority of people believed Sen. biden was the clear winner. Palin did enough to not implode or go completely silent at times, thanks to her cue cards. I detest politicians who choose only to answer questions they want, or who keep deflecting and changing the question. Palin herself stated she was annoyed with Katie Couric (who did an outstanding job of pressing the questions to get specific answers) since Palin only wants to spew party anti-Obama talking points rather than to be forced to give a cohesive, coherent answer.

Ken Burns got it right in his op-ed. Mccain has become that which he himself despised most in politicians. It is unfortunate the Union Leader lacks the objectivity to acknowledge this as well.
- Phil Bruno, Bedford, NH

Ah, yes... the old "I am a right wing independent" line. Good one, Rick Patterson.

To be more convincing, though, you might want to work on your delivery. First of all, we Conservatives rarely refer to ourselves as "right wing" or any other label you far leftists put on us.

Next, if you think a simple mispronunciation of a name is cause for dismissal from the race, then you must be all about getting Joe "that Gaffe Machine" Biden out of there, right? I mean, Franklin Roosevelt went on TV... nice!

Come on, Rick, stop with the masquerade. Just have the courage of your own convictions... face us and tell us who you really are. That way, we can all have an honest debate without trying these infantile tricks.

Right wing independent, indeed...
- Kurt Matthews, Reno, NV

Sarah Palin showed no grace and she showed no class.
- Todd Gershon, Plaistow

After all the LIES that have been spread about Sarah Palin, now we are going to call the fashion police on her. Yikes! And by the way Don, we WON the first Gulf War, and yes John McCain was in the Senate at that time so yes, he knows how to win a war.

So please spare the she isnt qualified boloney. What makes Obama qualified? I am told 19 months campaigning is his biggest qualification. If that is the standard then Dennis Kusinich should be President, he has been campaigning for 8 years! Double yikes!
- Bob Hunnefield, Manchester

Palin did win the debate. I don't mind that she got the general's name wrong, but I am concerned that Joe Biden said that the French and the US threw Hezbollah out of Lebanon and then both he and Obama pressed to get NATO forces in there to "fill the gap". No one, not the US, France, Lebanon, no one has kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon and the moderator shuld have caught that. Therefore, since that action never occurred, when would he and/or Obama have called for NATO troops? Mr. There Is No Greater Friend of Israel also said that Hamas controlled the West Bank when he should have said Gaza. But, by all means let's worry about whether Governor Palin gets the general's name right and give Obama's foreign policy genius a pass on, well, foreign policy.
- Joanne Jones, NYC, NY

The writer of the article must have been seated with the Palin cheering section that booed Biden for getting choked up talking about the death of his first wife and daughter.

Now as for her comments she denoted that McCain knows how to win a war because he won one before. As a Vietnam Veteran I am curious as to what revision of hi8story she is talking about.

Next far to often when asked a specific question she wandered off into something else that had nothing else to do with the original question. If your 62 like I am then that is just an older persons brain fart but for someone her age to do that means she has a total lack of focus.

Also tell her to stop wearing shorter skirts and crossing her legs while talking to the leaders of the middle Eastern countries because that offends their standards of decency.

If she starts talking like she did "Say it ain't so Joe" to many foreign leaders they will just walk away from her because they want direct factual talk.
- Don Armstrong, Henniker

Leave it to the Union Fascist Leader to support Palin as qualified. Hewing to a conservative, Republican partisanship as though this were a matter of religion. It's not. It's political leadership. This woman is frighteningly ignorant and totally unqualified to be anywhere near the presidency.

If McCain were a true patriot, he would tell everyone to vote for Obama.
- Edward Knowlton, Chester, NH

Palin won the debate? What debate were you watching? Do you mean the debate where she twice referred to the general in Afghanistan as "McClellan", even though his name is McKiernan?
I am a right wing independent, who has voted Republican in every one of the last 5 elections. However, considering McCain's advanced age, the prospect of Palin eventually becoming/running for president is very plausible, and this scares me.
There is absolutely no question that Palin is charming, however though this asset may have served her well in her beauty pageant past, as a VP or President it is useless. I am very disappointed with McCain's VP pick, he should have picked an electable candidate, someone like Romney. Palin as VP leaves me no choice but to vote for Obama.
- Rick Patterson, Manchester, New Hampshire