The selection of Gov. Sarah Palin was a move made by a campaign that clearly saw it needed to pull the rug out of the momentum that the Obama campaign forged in Denver this week. They may have very well succeeded. By launching the biggest surprise in campaign politics the McCain-Palin ticket swiveled the national spotlight in a whip-lash. Once the dust settles and the media moves on,however,-there is a massive storm heading for a very fragile gulf coast this weekend-there are questions about John McCain's judgement that must be examined. Did this get the results he wanted? Absolutely. Gov. Palin fills many holes that McCain had problems with especially with conservatives. Gun ownership, right to life,the woman's vote...looks like he smashed or made huge dents in each block in one very daring decision.
This decision,however,demonstrates a John McCain that we have not seen a lot of this campaign-he was supposed to be the candidate that was safe, secure...
This was an Absurdly reckless choice! which is unbelievably insulting to women and demonstrates McCain's antiquated narrow thinking.
With all due respect to Governor Palin and her accomplishments she is no more prepared to step into the presidency than Cindy McCain. Being mayor of a small Alaskan town and a governor of a remote state for less than 2 years does not qualify anyone, male or female, for the highest office in the land-especially at the most frightening time in history. Her lack of foreign policy experience aside, and that is a huge aside, what first hand knowledge does she have of the people of this country? This is not a slight on the beautiful state of Alaska but it is not reflective of the majority of this country in its needs. How many Americans shoot their own dinner these days? How much understanding can this woman bring to the lives of most Americans?
John McCain is not a young man and has had cancer more than once. His choice for VP shows an arrogance and a commitment to tabloid politics not to substance. Again, this is reckless.
If he wanted to play the gender card there are so many far more qualified republican women than Gov Palin. In fact, it could be argued that this is an insult to those women who have demonstrated their leadership through years of service. Was the shock factor the reason for this choice, if so then the republicans have left themselves wide open for attack.
John McCain has once again demonstrated with this choice how completely out of touch he is with the country he believes he should serve. I am also surprised at his campaign advisers allowing this choice...This is a HUGE gamble...did they not watch anything that went on in Denver? The women who supported Hillary are not women who would EVER vote for a pro-gun anti-abortion candidate. To throw someone with no international or security experience into the ring just to get the attention of women is unbelievable-he only met her once! I have thought many things about John McCain but stupid has never been one of them.
This looks like a political stunt to inject enthusiasm into a campaign that could never match the energy that Denver produced. Will he succeed in bringing on board the conservatives that he needs, slam dunk, they just needed an excuse to shift his way. He will not,however, win over Hillary supporters, for the majority Obama did that this week. The fact that in her first remarks to the press Gov Palin, who had been a critic of Hillary Clinton's, invoked her 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling remark is an insult, mainly because she doesn't get it-if she did she would not have walked in that direction. An accomplished woman no doubt, a woman who may in fact endear herself to many with intelligence,charm and a maverick's persona,but a woman who is not prepared for this job.
Why wouldn't McCain pick an experienced woman for the ticket? Why take such a risk...the campaign had no choice but to go for the shock value. The Obama momentum could only be overshadowed by a move such as this. McCain did not pick a woman just to pick a woman, he selected a woman that conservatives could live with and show off. In the end the numbers will tell-and I am afraid those numbers will come down to reflecting not gender, as the McCain camp must know, but to race.
As political theatre,however, you gotta love it! For the first time in anyone's memory, the vice presidential debate will be relevant, it will be must see viewing, and add to the amazing ride this election year has been. From a political junkie's chair, how much more fun could this get!! From a citizen's perspective,however, how much more frightening could the prospect of a President Palin be? Don't play with us John McCain, this is our future you are fooling with.
