Insult to Injury.... not Ingenious

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.... Really... This is John McCain's answer. This is the one he wants to be one-heartbeat (literally) away from the White House if he manages, however unlikely, to win the White House this fall. Fortunately, we as a nation will probably never have to deal with the repercussions of a choice that is dripping with transparent misogyny, serves to patronize and insult the intelligence of a very large voting block, and essentially cuts an entire flank to Barack Obama at its base.

9/2/2008 - continued....

As with many of my posts, I start them one day and finish them whenever I have time... In the couple of days that have passed since I started this one, the Palin pick has really become much more interesting (in the same way a train wreck is..). The Republicans now have to deal with Bristol-gate or whatever MSM wants to label it, as well as the undeniable specter of their VP candidate's debatable qualifications, embellishments of "reform", and overall good judgement. This question of judgement doesn't stop at Governor Palin either. The willingness to roll the dice with such a risky choice doesn't speak well to me about John McCain's executive decision making either.

I take my first strike at McCain's senior advisers. There is no way one can convince me that John McCain came to this decision on his own. If they thought they could come away with a good portion of Hillary Clinton's 18 million voters, as well as white male independents who vote with their johnson (let's face it, Gov. Palin is kinda hot), it was misogynistic beyond comprehension and underestimates the intelligence of Hillary's constituency and women in general. Sadly, their thinking was probably spot-on with the white male independents who vote with their johnson. Can't be helped. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. I can hardly fault them for trying to grab Hillary's votes... it's a great prize. However, they could have done it on a candidate's merits, her ideas, not her gender and sex appeal. I could write a book criticizing her qualifications, however, that's not the crux of my problem.

The crux of my problem is that secondly, and most seriously, I level my criticism to Governor Palin herself. Not because I disagree with her politics, because I most certainly do, but because I feel she is being irresponsible to her family. I know I'm not supposed to judge, but we can't help it, can we? We put ourselves into another's shoes and pop there goes that thinking... "I wouldn't do that... ", "What the hell is she thinking?", "Is this really what's best for her family?".... It goes on and on. How can Gov. Palin run a national campaign, raise a child with Down Syndrome, give her pregnant daughter the support and guidance she needs as she starts her family at such a tender age, and adequately serve this nation to her best ability? True, her husband is there, one hundred percent. However, it seems to me that both of them need to have the bulk of their attention focused on their family right now, not furthering the Governor's political career.