If voters weren't frightened of a trigger-happy, impulsive McCain before, then they sure had better be now.
McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice President displays near-reckless judgment.
She's a small-town gal without credentials who will be one heartbeat away from the U.S. presidency. Just 20 months ago, according to her biography, she was mayor of a town of 8,000, in Alaska, then became Governor in 2006
McCain's choice is insulting to women, particularly since his spin-doctors, and Palin herself, are bidding to get some of the 18 million who voted for Hillary, an accomplished lawyer, former First Lady, second-term U.S. Senator and a political career that spans nearly 40 years.
Is McCain simply swapping pantsuits because he believes women are dispensable and merely arm pieces?
This choice is also insulting to people with depth and real experience such as Romney, Bloomberg, Lieberman and dozens more governors or Senators.
The choice, however, is vintage McCain -- beyond risky and, like the many planes McCain has crashed - headed for the ground.
In a world where governance is not about running PTAs or municipal councils, Palin's candidacy fails to meet the most basic requirements for this job:
1. Vice Presidents must assume the reins should the President become ill or deceased. This is a very real possibility, given McCain's age, cancer and other physical problems. How dare McCain put someone into the biggest most important job in the world who is mere months out of running a tiny village in an isolated part of the country?
2. Vice Presidents also chair the Senate. Successful ones are savvy and experienced operator at brokering deals and forging bipartisan coalitions. She not has no experience in this regard but has not met any of the Senators, except those from Alaska, McCain and a few others. Her selection insures Congressional gridlock and a lack of respect for the duties.
Maybe that's what is most telling about McCain regarding this bombshell announcement: He arrogantly thinks he will have no problem serving out his term and has failed to plan for proper succession; he does not differentiate between women of accomplishment and women in general and he clearly does not value experience, Congress, policymaking, statecraft or the aptitude required for true leadership and vision.
Every time you criticize McCain's number 2, you make your own number 1 look bad.
And still all Palin needs to say is that she still has more executive experience than Obama and Biden combined!
Palin was a great choice. She'll appeal to many people that are only have a lukewarm interest in McCain. Will she cost the party any votes that wouldn't have gone to Obama anyway? Doubtful.
Palin will bring votes to the Republican Party that Romney or Guiliani would not. Gun owners, hunters, sportsmen are an easy demographic for Republicans. The religious right is also a given. Palin has cemented these votes for the right. She will also bring women to McCain's side that would never have considered voting Republican. Will it be enough. We'll see. Just don't pretend that McCain/Palin will not pick up female voters (especially pissed off PUMA voters).
Survey says: Obviously
McCain's choice represents offensive, cynical and transparent identity politics at its worst, and is indeed essentially saying to women, "you are interchangeable, and I'm betting that you'll vote based on vaginas because you aren't smart enough to vote on the issues". It's shameful:
http://www.thepersonalispolitical.com/2008/08/mccains-shocking-choice-for-vp-sarah.html
I wonder how/if Hillary will respond to this, both immediately and in the long term. I think her reaction will be invaluable.
Mc Cain was searching for a kamakaze and guess who surfaced?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQx42Tsz5NQ