Dear Mr. & Mrs. Heath,
I saw you on TV the other day and was happy to hear you voicing strong support for your daughter in what must be a thrilling, yet difficult time for you. If I ever run for public office, I hope my parents will give me the same kind of support you are giving Sarah.
A lot of what your daughter is going through right now, however, could have and should have been anticipated. All vice-presidential candidates undergo an intense scrutiny that is sometimes fair, sometimes not. That's as it should be.
Vice president may seem like a "second best" kind of job next to being president, but it's still pretty important. We need a lot more information about our candidates than we can get from their parents or hunting buddies. And because this is politics and not the PTA, there are many who are doing all they can to discredit your daughter, just like there are others who are doing the same for the other candidates. There are no exceptions to this rule. In your interview you expressed displeasure with the way the media has treated your daughter. I certainly understand this. I would be upset, as well, if fake photos of my daughter in a teeny weeny bikini were circulating around the net.
At the same time you need to realize that serious reporters covering the story of your daughter's ascendancy to high office wouldn't be doing their jobs if they didn't do all they could to ferret out the information we need to determine whether or not she is up to the task. This has nothing to do with whether or not she is a nice person. This has to do with the kinds of things an employer would look for if this were a regular job.
I believe the press has raised some legitimate questions about your daughter's qualifications for this office. In the few times she has been allowed to respond to a reporter's questions with her own thoughts, using her own words, she has evidenced a dismal lack of knowledge about the kinds of things we would expect a vice president to know. She may be, as you suggest, a "quick study." But there is simply no way that she can get up to speed by January of next year. This is not an SAT exam. This is an application for a job that calls for a broad, comprehensive knowledge of domestic and global matters, a knowledge Sarah does not have.
I think you have a fine daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Heath. She is disarmingly charming. She has gone far with simple grit and determination. She has a wonderful family and is a model for working mothers everywhere. You have every reason to be proud of her. But I'm afraid I have to agree with what many are saying, even members of her own party. After examining her resume and learning more about her, it's clear that she is not qualified to be vice president of the United States.. I hope you understand that this is not personal. It's simply the truth.
Sincerely,
A concerned friend