Sunday, August 31, 2008

McCain gets one right

You all know my lower-than-low opinion of the politics of John McCain: He has shown he is against free speech with his horrid McCain-Feingold "Campaign Finance Reform" law; he has shown he is against drilling in ANWR, comparing it to drilling in the Grand Canyon; he has shown he is all for allowing illegal aliens to be rewarded for breaking into our country.

I will however allow John McCain one mention of praise, and that is his pick of Sarah Palin for his vice-presidential running mate. The safe choice would have been Mitt Romney, but instead, McCain and his advisors recognized that his liberalishness needed to be balanced with a more traditional conservative. Palin fills this need. I was reading about this woman when she was just a very long-shot for the VP slot, and I was impressed at the time. I especially appreciate how as governor of Alaska, she stuck to the Republican principles of smaller government by not going along with that idiot senator Ted Stevens and his $200 million "Bridge to Nowhere." Ted Stevens is an institution in Alaska, yet Palin worked against his massive pork project and helped get it nixed. Palin is all for drilling in ANWR, she is pro-gun, pro-life, and pro-America. Hell, it's too bad the ticket is McCain/Palin and not Palin/McCain.

Is Palin inexperienced? Admittedly, yes. What I have found hilarious is listening to the Obama camp harp on Palin's inexperience. Now that's a case of the pot calling the kettle black... am I allowed to say that in reference to Obama? The Obama campaign apparently doesn't realize that by mocking McCain about his pick of the inexperienced Sarah Palin, they are doing nothing but acknowledging that Obama is indeed as inexperienced as the Republicans have been asserting.

Despite both Palin and Obama suffering from a lack of experience in high office, one way that Palin has an edge is that her current position is an executive one. While Obama's highest attained office has involved showing up to debate and vote on stuff, Palin has had the opportunity to be in charge; for the buck to stop with her. This is why, traditionally, the American people have been much more likely to elect state governors to higher office rather than senators.

For my wife, McCain's pick of Palin has sealed the deal for her - she will be voting for McCain in November. For me, the jury is still out because ultimately, should McCain win the election, it will be his keester in the Oval Office, and not Palin's. I will admit however that if nothing else, it was sure fun to watch the Obama campaign scurry around and try to downplay the Republicans putting a "minority" on their presidential ticket after the Democrats have been spending the last two years bragging about theirs.

Good Day to You, Sir

6 comments:

Don, American Idle said...

I think I'm in love with Sarah Palin. Eat your heart out, Hillary.

Mike said...

Chanman,
I agree. I think he made a great pick with Palin.

I also think they did a great job of keeping the Dems scrambling. Everyone was talking about Romney, Pawlenty, Ridge and Libermann....then WHAM! E) None of the above.

Anonymous said...

Careful with the praise over the bridge to nowhere..

http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2008/08/well_that_didnt_take_long.php

This is her in a QandA with the Anchorage Daily News

5. Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?

Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.

And this is her when the whole thing fell apart...

"Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it's clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island," Governor Palin added. "Much of the public's attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened."

That is not exactly someone telling Congress to keep its money. It is someone who wanted more, and couldnt get it..

Babbie said...

Speaking of figures of speech ("pot calling the kettle black"), in a recent interview Obama said the contest wasn't going to be a "cakewalk." Do you think he knows the origins of that term? ;)

Anonymous said...

Palin is a great choice. Can you imagine what Hillary is thinking now?

Just think of all the years she put up with Bill's BS and then a real female politician comes on the scene and puts her credentials to shame.

Mrs. Bluebird said...

I've been hearing about Sarah Palin for a bit now thanks to mom who's wired with the National Federation of Republican Women. I was impressed. The fact that he picked her actually opened up my wallet...I'm not wild about McCain at all, but I'm a lot happier than I was before he picked Palin.