Okay. Let’s set aside the facts she is pro-life, a lifetime member of the NRA… Palin is a disaster of a choice for vice president. Here’s why:
1. Does McCain really think Palin will appeal to Hillary voters? Seriously?? It’s ridiculous for someone who really believed in Hillary to support McCain in the first place. If you believed in Hillary’s policies, McCain is not your man. But Palin? See my first sentence. She’s a pro-life (and doesn’t even support rape/incest exceptions) and lifetime member of the NRA. How on Earth does that appeal in any way to someone who supported Clinton??! When Palin gave her line about the glass ceiling, my wife turned to me in disgust and said, “That is such blatant pandering. How stupid do they think we are?”
2. I think there is some (not a lot, but surely some) validity to the argument that Obama lacks experience. However, Palin was the Mayor of a city with a population of less than 6,000. She’s the Governor–only for two years–of a state with a population of less than 700,000. Palin was elected Governor after receiving 114,697 votes. Last February, my wife won her primary election here in Cook County with 302,347 votes. My wife got nearly three times as many votes in a _local_ election. With no disrespect to Alaskans, I’m not saying the Governor of Alaska isn’t an important job, but it cannot be compared with serving as a Senator for the fifth most populous state in the United States.
3. The experience thing is a big deal. I wish John McCain no ill will, but we have to acknowledge that he is 72 and will be one of the oldest presidential candidates in history. I think it’s even more critical that his vice president choice is someone who can readily step into the role of President. Sarah Palin is not even close. Obama might have “little” foreign policy experience–Palin has none. She doesn’t even have any _national_ policy experience.
4. Did McCain really only meet her in person once??! That, to me, is even worse than her lack of experience. I’m sorry, I’m a pretty good judge of people, but I don’t hire _systems administrators_ without two or more interviews. He met her _once_?? You can talk all you want about her status and her accomplishments, but if it is true that McCain only met her once in person before making this decision then McCain definitely doesn’t have the judgment to be President.
Here’s the other problem–I can’t believe no one has mentioned it. Everyone defending her seems to be saying, “Oh, but it doesn’t matter that she’s not experienced. She’s an outsider! She’s not some good ol’ boy with 30 years in politics.” I even heard one of McCain’s spokespeople say that he chose a reform minded outsider while Obama chose a typical Washington insider. But, um, what is _McCain_??? He’s been in Washington for 26 years. He’s not *that* much of a maverick–he’s a rich, old, white guy who has been in Washington for decades. I’m sorry, you can’t have it both ways.
I will be very interested in seeing how Palin performs on a national stage. I think the national press and the pressure of a national presidential campaign are going to eat her alive. Of course I could be wrong, but this choice has really left me scratching my head.