I'm not back up to speed here at the blog, having been out of the loop for a week waiting for a new computer, but after my friend Word Tosser called me this morning asking my reaction to the choice of Sarah Palin as Republican VP nominee, I found my mind going a different direction than what I was hearing on the noon news.
So I'll dip in and get my feet wet for the coming discourse. Experienced enough to take on the Presidency should McCain become unable to carry out his duties in his first year? No. A darling for the conservatives? Absolutely. I have no idea what she brings to the ticket other than being a woman.
To paraphrase Lloyd Benston, however, she's no Hillary Clinton. So where does this leave the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuit"? If I know the way my own gender thinks, and I'm not sure that I do any more, they'll stick with Hillary. You see Hillary earned it. She began her quest when a woman needed a man to front her. She found Bill and over time smoothed the rough edges, hid those she couldn't, and rode his coat tails to the heights she could not reach, at the time, on her own. She endured a lot. I think that's why she's her daughter's hero now that Chelsea is old enough to understand the intricacies of relationships such as her parents.
I don't know if the Republican ploy to win over those Hillary supporters who are still miffed will work or not. Hillary hit it square on the head, however, when she asked during her speech if her supporters were in it for just her - or for what she believed in and fought for. If it be the latter, they will heed her advice and vote for Obama. If it be the former, as I said above, Palin is no Hillary - so who knows.
If I had been a Hillary supporter I'd find this pick laughable; almost an insult. There are so many more women far more experienced who could have been chosen. You think you can buy my vote with this?
Most importantly, this election is about far more than who the women are going to vote for. We have potential wars all around us. The economy is in the pits. I could list dozens of issues. What does this woman bring to the table? What's her grasp of the world and the economy? Is it merely a parroting of what she's told to say? I'm sure I'll be told in no uncertain terms.
Obama is criticised for choosing a Vice Presidential nominee who balances his own experiences and one who is perfectly capable of taking over the office of the President should it become necessary.
How does Palin balance the ticket other then being a woman? Maybe she knows how many homes she has. But President?
All in all, my gut reaction here is that someone just doesn't get it. Is it me?
4 comments:
The political arena in the nation...is a lot tougher than what it is in Alaska...
I think they picked for the surface reasons... I hope she doesn't get beat up too badly.. It is nice to grab the brass ring..but sometimes it isn't worth the ride.
No, it isn't you! The whole thing is so easy to see through that you can't help but wonder, what are they thinking???? It's just one more twist and curve in the political road. I do hope women got what Hillary said, not just what they want to believe she said.
They must be desperate. Sarah Palin doesn't have a clue. She's only been governor two years and before that was a mayor. She knows nothing...no, less then nothing about Washington. She would be in for a terrific culture shock if they were to win. I think McCain has just sealed his doom. No Hillary fan, and I am one, would be fooled by that tactic.
I read through hundreds of posts on CNN this afternoon and the overwhelming sentiment was one of being insulted. Other thoughts posted were that this was McCain's first presidential judgment and he blew it. Several posters said they had been leaners, but this choice landed them firmly in the Obama camp.
Now having said that, the national news just interviewed a woman who said the fact that Palin was the mother of five was enough of a qualification for being Veep.
And earlier in the day I saw Cokie Roberts on tv saying Palin will appeal to the base because she's been a life long NRA member. Rush Limbaugh is ecstatic claiming they have the "babe" on their ticket!
Who would have thought that shooting a gun and being good looking were enough to run the United States of America? Now I know, beyond any doubt, that the GOP is the party of middle schoolers.
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