News and views from the award-winning author of the novels The Skinny Years, America Libre, House Divided and Pancho Land

Friday, August 29, 2008

Sarah Palin, the last straw

In choosing someone so patently unqualified to serve as commander-in-chief, the McCain camp has shed all pretensions of seeking to effectively govern this nation. It is now just about winning.

I was profoundly content when it became clear the presidential campaign in 2008 would be between Barrack Obama and John McCain. Here were two highly principled candidates who seemed determined to steer clear of the negative campaigns of the past. For the first time in my lifetime, I did not think the presidential election would be a choice between the lesser of two evils.

In very short order, my illusions were crushed.

The attack ads and smears quickly escalated. The promises by both candidates to run a clean campaign disappeared as the political hacks within each camp took over. Each man seemed genuinely offended by the other side’s low blows, yet neither tried to control those coming from their own team.

As we entered August, the campaign had descended into a mudfest worthy of Karl Rove. By the time the Democratic convention began, the McCain camp reached a new low in media chicanery, looking for ways to upstage the Dems during their national conference.

But today, with John McCain’s announcement of Sarah Palin as his running mate, the campaign crash-dived into uncharted depths in political subterfuge.

The issue of McCain’s age is bogus. A person of 72 in today’s world can be a vital and effective leader. All the same, the possibility of McCain being unable to finish a four year term is much more likely than Obama’s. That leaves Sarah Palin "a heartbeat away from the presidency" as the tired saying goes.

Here is Palin's complete political resume: One term as mayor of a city of 8,500. Two years as governor of state with a population of 400,000. In choosing someone so patently unqualified to serve as commander-in-chief, the McCain camp has shed all pretensions of seeking to effectively govern this nation. It is now just about winning.

And the American people are the real losers.


Raul Ramos y Sanchez

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel it was a brilliant move on McCains part. Now all the upset Hillary voters will have a chance to put a woman in the White House as VP. The choice will also bring a lot of women/mom votes, the undecided votes and probably a lot of men wanting two have two attractive women in the WH. Bet Michelle has already got her thong in a knot and ready to start dissing the two white women that are going to be in the WH instead of her.

The Mustang To Paducah Period Pieces Blog said...

Yes, there is no doubt that being attractive is the most important attribute for the U.S. commander-in-chief. Sarah's biggest decision as our president will be: Does blue eye shadow clash with a nuclear cloud over New York?

Anonymous said...

Three years ago if you would have asked anyone outside of Illinois who Barak Obama was their answer would have been; I don't know but he sounds like someone from the Middle East. Now by some strange turn of events he's a candidate for U.S. President. Something about that fact is very unsettling to the average citizen. He is a puppet being handled by puppeteers who have yet to be identified. Once they are we will probably see individuals that will put us in more danger than McCain/Palin could ever do.

Give Palin the benefit of the doubt and not be so fast to judge her abilities as a leader. At least she is 100% for America and not like the white hateing, anti-American frauds that are Barak and Michelle Obama. Most Americans do not trust Baraks willingness to make tough decisions when it comes to national security.

La Madre said...

I am offended that I am supposed to like this candidate just because she is a woman just like Senator Clinton. Senator Clinton was not a woman who was Anti-Choice, Senator Clinton was a woman who fought for health care rights, for feminism, but I am supposed to ignore all those things and like a candidate just because she too is a woman?