Palin: A Risky Joke And An Insult
What incredibly bad judgment for John McCain to pick Sarah Palin as the putative Vice President of the United States.
A four time cancer survivor who would be the oldest person ever elected president selects a forty-four year old former beauty queen and sports reporter, who was mayor of a small Alaska fishing village of 6,000 people, a failed candidate for Lt. Governor, and is now two years into her first term as Governor of Alaska.
To be the next in line to be President of the United States.
My initial reaction was "Not fair! Republicans are evil for running a hottie swimsuit model." Or writing something pithy about "the Beauty and the Beast Campaign."
But holy cow what a bad decision by McCain. Politics matter and this is just a horribly risky choice for a country fighting two ground wars, a global war on terrorism, and facing unprecedented energy, economic, and financial crisis.
The first and most important responsibility of the presidential candidates, partisan politics aside for a moment, is to pick a vice president who is qualified to be president. Palin, who may be a great person, is not anywhere close to be being qualified to become president. No way.
McCain's strongest message has been his relative experience over Obama. Picking Palin completely eviscerates this argument. Palin has no even passable economic, international relations, foreign policy, education policy, environmental, or military experience whatsoever. None.
John McCain likes her and that's that. Get off my damn lawn. Wonder what Kay Baily Hutchison (R -TX) has to say?
Moreover, McCain has made the political (mis) judgment that women who support Hillary Clinton will vote for a Republican woman because she is a woman. This is a colossal insult. Women who support Hillary Clinton support her because they believe her lifetime in politics and public service qualifies her and then because she is a woman. The message to Hillary supporters is "we think you will vote for any woman candidate - even an obviously unqualified candidate."
(Update video h/t to RK - Palin calls Hillary "a whiner" for not being a tough enough presidential candidate. No kidding. Man oh man.)
McCain's selection of Palin is the worst vice presidential decision I have ever seen a major party candidate ever make. E.V.E.R. Including Dan Quayle (e). Including Muskie. Including Agnew.
Just horrible, horrible, judgment on the part of John McCain.
