Speaking Of Judgment

Let's examine the first decisions both presidential candidates made as standard bearers of their respective parties. Barack Obama considered the long list of potential vice presidential candidates, including many who shared the primary stage with him through a very long season.

After careful deliberation, he chose Senator Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and past Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Biden is acknowledged to be one of country's most knowledgeable and respected authorities on foreign affairs. He has significant personal experience with many of the world's leaders and has visited most of the countries of greatest significance to America. His voting record and leadership role on issues of import to women is outstanding. There is no question in anyone's mind that Joe Biden would be ready on day one to step in to the role of President of the United States and Commander in Chief should any unfortunate circumstance arise creating that necessity.

John McCain, in his first exhibition of presidential judgment, chose as his running mate, Sarah Palin, who has served as governor of Alaska for less than 2 years. Her previous experience was as mayor of her small town of just over 5000 people. Senator McCain met Governor Palin for the first time this summer and spent 15 minutes with her. It was during this initial meeting that the Governor informed Senator McCain that her daughter was pregnant and unmarried. In view of the fact that some important follow-up questions had to be asked concerning that disclosure, one wonders how much "vetting" could have occurred during the remaining moments with this vice presidential nominee.

Only recently the story changed, and it now appears that the pregnancy information may not have been revealed at that meeting. It is also interesting to note that Governor Palin acknowledged that she has not thought much about Iraq. However, she has given a lot of thought to how to treat women who have been rape victims. She decided, in her judgment, that these women should be treated as criminals. I say that because she takes the position that abortion should be outlawed throughout the country regardless of the reason for the abortion. In her view, there should be no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother. Perhaps she would argue in her defense that she doesn't want to make the women criminals, but rather the physician. Following up on that theory, that would mean that any doctor that had a patient that was a victim of a violent rape, regardless of the physical condition of the rapist, (drugs, aids, etc.), should turn away his patient and not provide her with the mental and physical relief she sought.

Sarah Palin also has zero experience in foreign affairs and has not traveled outside the country in any significant amount. She didn't even have a passport for the first 40 years of her life. The idea that she could be a heartbeat away from being President of United States and Commander in Chief and the most powerful person in the world is absolutely unthinkable.

I strongly believe that Senator McCain's motivation in selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate was two-fold: Solidify his base and energize the right wing of his party, and try and capture the female supporters of Hillary Clinton, who were disappointed that Hillary wasn't chosen as the vice presidential nominee. To me, this is so demeaning to those supporters who genuinely believe in the many issues that Hillary Clinton so articulately supported.

The idea that Clinton supporters would abandon their beliefs regarding a women's right to chose, quality healthcare for each and every American, pulling out of Iraq on a definitive time table, equal pay for equal work, the appointment of progressive judges to the Supreme Court who will uphold Roe v. Wade, among other issues, is absolutely ridiculous. I doubt these Hillary supporters want someone who supports teaching creationism in our schools. If Senator McCain wanted to appoint a woman to offset the ticket and project the image of change, there were so many more qualified female candidates who have the experience and judgment necessary to step in to the Presidency should anything happen to the Senator.

The aforementioned vice presidential choices present an opportunity to examine the judgment of the candidate making those choices. Every voter deserves to have an opportunity to know everything about both candidates on each party's ticket. Both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been thoroughly vetted over the last 18 months, as has Senator John McCain. The idea that a woman of such limited experience should suddenly emerge on the national stage and be a heartbeat away from the Presidency without a thorough vetting process is very scary. To me, anyone who puts the citizens of America in that position exhibits very poor judgment.

Comments

[tompoe]

Geez. Get a grip. The woman is VP candidate, not president candidate. She only becomes president, if something happens to McCain. She's never shown any indication that she operates from revenge, retribution, vendettas based on emotions. Anyone who upsets her as VP, will not have a thing to worry about, when she takes over president. Whether that person is part of the administration, or leader of some sovereign nation, they need not worry about Palin going off the deep end, just because they might have upset her. Or, upset McCain before he was unable to continue as president. Vetting is obsolete, a remnant of days gone by.

[Victoryin2008]

OMG...you are so naive! Vetting is obsolete???!!! Are you insane? The VP candidate is just as important as the Presidential Candidate, especially since McCain is the oldest candidate who ever ran for the Presidency and he has had several bouts of melanoma (with a biopsy for a suspicious lesion only a few weeks ago). How on earth can you say "she won't do that" or "she won't do this"? You and the rest of us have no idea who she is. She's under investigation now for firing an official who wouldn't fire her State Trooper ex-brother in law. If this IS true, that sounds pretty vindictive to me.

[Higherground]

This is the most assine arguement that I've read. Vetting is obsolete in the age of information?

When information and the capacity to publish something for the world amounts to the click of a mouse, vetting is even more important. I recently did a search of my great-great grandmother's name, just to see, and found a picture of her tombstone.

And the assertion that Palin doesn't operate from revenge?

I believe that a former public safety director, a state trooper, and a former local librarian would disagree.

The assertion that someone in a lower postition in an administration can't reek havoc?

Ask Former Alabama Governor Don Seigleman what happens when someone from the administration calls a U.S. attorney.

When someone tells you that they are a pittbull in lipstick, you take them at their word.

[JRsNana]

You are right on the money with this one. A total lack of judgment and a scary lack of concern about our country by John McCain.
After having a few days to ponder, I find it even more strange than I did initially. They were really zooming along with the "experience - or lack thereof" issue with Obama. What the heck were they thinking? That we wouldn't notice she has NO business being on that ticket? I think Dobson had way more to do with all this than anyone thinks. He promised to deliver the evangelicals if.......

[grendl]

I'd like to know if Ms. Palin advocates the marriage between a rapist and their impregnated victim.

I suspect not. I also suspect that she views conception as some sort of act of divination by god's hand. And once again the separation between church and state comes into the argument.

It's a woman's right to choose what happens to her body, and her life. Making her the criminal for seeking an illegal termination, if the GOP gets their way is punishing the victim in cases of rape. And its harsh punition for some dumb teenager, much like her daughter, to make them give up their futures for a night of wanton lust.

This isn't off the table, dammit Barack. You can't take issues like this off the table, its what defines the party. And the fact that so many teens in a similar situation as Bristol Palin's aren't prepared to raise a child needs to be made clear. So it works for her ( perhaps ), its unfair to make others undertake such a monumental job as parenting in a world already too filled with humankind.