posted September 3, 2008
John McCain's attempt to pull Hillary's supporters into his camp through the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP demonstrates serious misjudgment not only of the qualifications needed but also of the intellect of Hillary voters. Our support of Hillary traversed a multitude of policies that went beyond our admiration of her as role model for women. She stands for issues that are the bedrock of the Democratic Party. Hillary voters are not so shallow that we will fall for a VP choice who is against the very principles for which Hillary has worked so hard for 35 years. If anything, McCain's attempt to pander to Hillary's voters through the choice of Palin is the most sexist thing he has done to date.
There is no cause for celebration among Republicans at the choice of this particular woman. You will not see us dancing in the aisles or signing up as volunteers for the McCain/Palin ticket. McCain touts Palin as a maverick in the Republican Party. Well, I've been doing a little research; and she really is not much of a maverick after all. In fact, you can hardly find information on her.
I'm one of the first 300 delegates who holds a limited edition button for being the first to sign a petition calling for a roll-call vote to put Hillary's name in nomination for President. I'm no shrinking iris when it's time to speak up for women candidates and women's rights. However, Sarah Palin has only a few things in common with Hillary. They are both married, mothers, and elected officials.
I'm not sure where McCain was on the day he decided to place Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket as VP. Perhaps he was lost in Kansas with Toto. It doesn't appear he had his thinking cap on that day, particularly as it regards bringing Hillary women into his camp.
Palin's experience pales in comparison with Joe Biden and - yes - it pales in comparison with Barack Obama as well. She was twice elected mayor of a community that hardly qualifies as a city - whose residents number less than 10,000. Her first statewide campaign was in 2002 - just six years ago, a race that she lost. She has held state-wide office for all of two years. As a City Commissioner and state Ethics Commissioner on the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, she did protest tax hikes. The Republicans always do, but they certainly don't mind borrowing from a Communist country and spending on programs that create deficits in the U.S. economy and infrastructure.
And speaking of infrastructure and Alaska's proposed "Bridge to Nowhere," Cindy McCain was quoted in The New Republic's website as saying "She [Palin] has no problem saying, 'No, we don't want that bridge to nowhere. If we want it, we'll pay for it...'" That is hardly the full truth. Palin was actually for the bridge before she was against it. In October 2006, she told the Anchorage Daily News with regard to the bridge, "I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects sooner rather than later" and made reference to the potential of losing the Republican majority in the Senate. When she became governor, she had to admit there was not sufficient funding available for the bridge - a concept she never rejected.
Palin believes that global warming is not human caused, an opinion that is not widely held in the scientific community. She also believes in "abstinence only" education and apparently has not seen the statistics that 80 percent of teens have sex before marriage, regardless of whether they are evangelicals or not. While she opposes abortion, she does not advocate affordable health care and apparently has the view "You're on your own" when it comes to the needs of the poor and disaffected. She has no foreign policy experience unless you count that Alaska's border is near Russia's. That would qualify millions of people along our northern border with Canada and southern border with Mexico as having foreign policy experience. Her other credits, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and has been a sports reporter.
By comparison, we know that Joe Biden has a law degree, is a law professor, and has served with distinction in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. He lived outside D.C., preferring to commute four hours a day to be with his family. His proudest sponsorship of a bill is the "Violence Against Women Act." He has served on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. While McCain, Biden, and Obama all have high-level security clearances and are ready for secret briefings on foreign policy; Palin will need to acquire such a clearance.
There is no need to bring up Obama's experience in comparison with Palin, particularly to Hillary supporters. We know that after graduating from Harvard Law School and being editor of the Harvard Law Review, Obama chose executive experience as a community service director over being a Wall Street attorney. He helped the disenfranchised and unemployed with housing and job placement among other deeds of good will. That considerable executive experience is something to be admired in today's economy. Obama then went on to serve in the Illinois State Senate in 1996, 12 years ago, where he supported expanding health care and early childhood education for the poor. While still in office at the statewide level, he spoke eloquently in October 2002 in Chicago's Federal Plaza as an early opponent of the war in Iraq. He noted that a war without clear rationale and without international support would further inflame the Arab world and strengthen recruitment of al Qaeda operatives, a prophecy that came true.
McCain's choice of Palin for VP is a demonstration of his lack of judgment in his first opportunity as a presidential nominee. This decision is in clear contrast to the solid judgment shown by Obama in his choice of the well-equipped Joe Bide for his VP. Women who supported Hillary are largely mature and professional and remember how hard we have worked to achieve our rights. We want affordable healthcare for every American. We want job opportunities that include alternative energy development and reduction on foreign oil. We want fulfillment of the American dream of owning one's home. We want to bring our soldiers home from an ill-advised war, and retention of the rights our Constitution guarantees.
Pat Branham, Hillary Delegate, 3rd CD, TN
Chattanooga
Patrica.branham@comcast.net
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I am tired of hearing how Sarah Palin has more experience than Obama. Obama served in the Illinois State Legislature, as a community organizer in Chicago, and as a United States Senator. This experience is not extensive, in comparison to McCain's public service, but neither is it something to be ashamed of.
Sarah Palin served as mayor of a town of less than 9,000 residents. While mayor of that town, she inquired of the local library how to get objectionable books off the shelf of the library. When the librarian objected, Palin attempted to get her fired from her job. Kind of reminds me of something that later took place while she was governor. She seems very adept at attempting to get people fired.
Sarah Palin is governor of the state of Alaska. The population of that entire state is 684,000 residents. Using the logic that she is qualified to be Vice President of the United States because of that executive experience, would mean that our own Ron Littlefield would also be qualified. Why not just admit that she was chosen because she is female, and attractive.
The selection of Sarah Palin is a slap in the face to every woman in America. It suggests that the Republican Party thinks the females supporting Hillary Clinton only supported her because she was a woman. Maybe they were behind Hillary because she supported equal pay for equal work, or health care for the children of our country, or better access to higher education, or maybe even bringing our troops home from a place they never should have been sent to start with. I would venture to say that less than 1% supported Hillary because she was a woman. The women of America are much smarter, and better informed than the Republicans give them credit for.
The selection of Palin by McCain demonstrated a lack of judgment on his part. Would the same logic be used to select Supreme Court Justices, or Secretary of Defense, or Secretary of State? These are legitimate concerns that should be addressed.
Rod Dagnan
roddagnan@comcast.net
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