24 October 2008
Palin's $150,000 wardrobe
This was a huge mistake for the McCain-Palin campaign to make. I'm sure Palin needed a few new pieces of clothing when she first became the Vice Presidential nominee for the Republican Party, but that does not constitute spending six figures to do so. As an informed citizen of the United States it is hard for me to listen to four straight debates, in which McCain and Palin both focus on cutting porkbarrel spending while $150,000 is being spent to clothe Sarah Palin. While the two things are slightly different, Sarah Palin already has clothes, and while a few more may have been appropriate, $150,000 worth from Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue is excessive(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/us/politics/23palin.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin). Many of the newly purchased, expensive clothes were very similar in style to what she wore before, and it is hard to tell the difference without close inspection, which is hard in most every setting that Palin would be speaking to a large number of people and need to be seen in those clothes(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/us/politics/23style.html?ref=politics). They could have used that money for what it was donated for, actually campaigning to win the presidential election. Palin would have still looked professional without the ridiculous proce tags on her clothes. If anything, this only adds to my skepticism of her and the campaign as a whole. This is only one of many poor decisions that the McCain-Palin campaign has made recently. They have begun to focus on everything, but the issues that are most important, and while most of us have conceded that the issues aren't very prominent in this election, ultimately Americans want to know if they're going to be secure in their jobs in future, if they have enough money to retire sooner rather than later, and if they can afford to send their children to college. The McCain-Palin campaign, however has been focusing too much on attacking Barrack Obama with disregard to substantial issues. At least in a couple of the Obama ads we have looked at, there is policy involved. Because of this, I feel that the Republican campaign is falling short, and with less than two weeks left until election day, they had better make the adjustments necessary quickly or suffer the consequences.
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I also agree with you on the unnecessary and excessive spending for wardrobe. Public figures often tend to be ostentatious dressers when it comes to appearances for the media and I believe that this is a profligate manner to spend money. If her previous clothes were similar to her newly purchased ones, only without the prestigious tags, I see no reason for her, or anyone, to replace her wardrobe to run for the vice presidency.
I agree that this spending was completely unnecessary and stupid. Many people already believe that Sarah Palin is more of an image than an actual. This story will only reaffirm their beliefs and cause them to lose even more respect for McCain. Aside from costing him thousands of dollars, Sarah Palin will also cost McCain the election. It would have made much more sense if he had chosen Mitt Romney as his running mate. Romney is not only lower-maintenance, but also an expert in economics.
Granted, the outfit looks nice on Palin, but an outfit THAT expensive is unnecessary to greet the people of the United States. We are currently in a horrible recession and having a potential vice president buy an outfit that looks just as nice as the rest of her relatively cheaper clothes is ridiculous. What irritates me even more is the fact that the media is talking about clothing rather than the issues. Instead of discussing Sarah’s stances on abortion, the media discusses its fascination towards Sarah’s image and, apparently, expensive taste in outfits.
Totally agree. That was a complete waste. Even though the public has the right to know about scandals like this, the republicans were stupid to let something like this get out. However I feel that it is important that we keep in mind that she is a female and with that said it cost a more to make women look presentable. Also the article said that clothes bought were not just bought for Palin, but also her family. This information changes the context because the 150,000 dollars is not just being spent on one person, but multiple family members. Yet still 150,000 dollars is a bit steep. pete if you are reading this, you left your notebook in my room!!
I hardly agree with this at all. While is doesn't make sense spending that much money on clothing, it really doesn't pertain to how Palin would do as Vice President. It must also be noted that the full 150,000 was not just spent on Palin, but her family as well. I really don't think that the media and people should be concentrating on the cost of Palin's wardrobe when the election is less than 2 weeks away. If you vote against McCain and Palin do it because you disagree with their views not because of how much they spent on clothing.
I agree with Alissa. Although the number is a bit outrageous, there shouldn't be so much in the news about clothes. Still though, it is a bit excessive, and I agree with Jerry in that this only perpetuates the ongoing criticism of Palin being all looks and not much substance.
Also, I think the GOP's response-that they intended to donate the clothes to charity all along is sort of silly. What sort of homeless person would need a $10,000 skirt?
I think this issue deserves some attention, but not as much as it is receiving - especially at this juncture of the election. Although no exact figures have been leaked to the media, I'm sure Obama has spent excessive amounts on his wardrobe for the debate season and for his numerous appearances across the country.
Initially, this article reminded me of a story (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18157456/) that leaked last year about the cost of former vice-presidential candidate John Edward's haircuts. He reportedly paid $400 per hair cut for the services of a celebrity stylist in Beverly Hills. While this cost pales in comparison to the cost of Palin's wardrobe, it still deals with the same principle - that politicians are paying ludicrous amounts for basic services. While the Republican Party and McCain campaign surely regret letting the exact cost of Palin's wardrobe leak to the media, I hope Americans realize that they don’t stand alone in their irresponsible spending.
This is the sort of issue that attracts a lot of media attention but honestly I do not care much about it. Both candidates spend a lot of money on many different things. Yes, it is ridiculous to spend that much money on clothes. But I do not feel it is as big a deal as it is made out to be.
Regardless, it was another mistake for the McCain campaign when they can ill afford them. I am not sure if they can recover if the spotlight remains on their blunders.
I frankly do not care about how much money Sarah Palin spends on her wardrobe, and I would not care if she spent one million dollars on it. It is up the campaign to decide how to spend their funds, and if they see it necessary to spend six figures on a new look for the potential next president of the united states, then so be it. it is not what we, as voters, should be concerned with. let us analyze their stances and platforms, and not their receipts from Saks. this is not a poor decision at all. Barack Obama has million upon millions of dollars lying around as well, and he spends it on attacking McCain. at least Sarah Palin is spending that money in the national economy, and not buying 30min ads to bash McCain with. this entire argument is false and completely ill informed.
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