McCain Will Crash and Burn Again with Palin

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.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

Comments

[sociocanuck]

I've given this some thought, and coupled with the actually congratulatory ad a few days ago, I think there's a very real possibility McCain is quietly and deliberately packing in his campaign already. His pick doesn't do enough one way or the other to dispel that conspiracy theory, IMO.

[Damnstraight]

This really seems like a joke but mccain knew he needed to get some media attention so he went with palin. She seems like a nice lady and I respect what she's accomplished but she is in way over her head. Mccain has just shown that he would rather try to desperately win a election than put the country first.

[ThinkCreeps]

He's crashed many times, but he's never burned.

[BBackSoon]

I posted this a while back. I didn't see it being a woman.

"There is no way the repugs actually think they can get this guy elected. As I have stated before, health issues will arise just prior to the General Election that will force McSame to drop out. Some charismatic right wing nobody will take the stage and will generate that same Obama-esk buzz and we will get 4 more years of Bushco rule. The Neocons led by Rove play to win and there is no way they expect McSame to finish this campaign.

posted Aug 07, 2008 at 14:23:13"

[DarthVector]

awfully true.

it's a desperate tactic, which is why i expect it - there's nothing else left loaded in the Republican chamber. it will be a suicidal headshot instead.

this is because she is a lightweight in terms of her public persona outside alaska. that's fatal at this late stage.

she is not a scion of an established house with daddy-name-value, while Obama-buzz is a grassroots phenomenon and takes over two years to grow...