Yup - I've Changed My Mind
I previously wrote that we needed to evaluate the presidential/vice presidential candidates based on the issues. I was tired of all of the bickering about experience, or the perceived lack of experience of these candidates. That all of the candidates were qualified.
Well. That was then. This is now. Now more information has become available to me, and I've changed my mind. I simply have to say that I would be very uncomfortable to think that Sarah Palin would be anywhere close to the Vice Presidency, much less the Presidency. Not only are many of her core values different from mine, but she doesn't realize that she isn't prepared for the job. I've seen her interviews (the few that she has done-why are they protecting her?), and her inability to articulate a position on the issues that makes sense (watch her answer to Katie Couric about the $700 billion economic bailout later lampooned by SNL) or are flat out ridiculous (being governor of Alaska gives her foreign policy experience due to its proximity to Russia?). Some other specifics:
Sarah Palin is simply a gimmick by John McCain to try to sway the conservative right to come out to the polls and vote. It is truly a reflection of his decision making skills in my mind. It shows me what kind of "maverick" he really is - not really much of one. I used to admire McCain. Not so much anymore.
Well. That was then. This is now. Now more information has become available to me, and I've changed my mind. I simply have to say that I would be very uncomfortable to think that Sarah Palin would be anywhere close to the Vice Presidency, much less the Presidency. Not only are many of her core values different from mine, but she doesn't realize that she isn't prepared for the job. I've seen her interviews (the few that she has done-why are they protecting her?), and her inability to articulate a position on the issues that makes sense (watch her answer to Katie Couric about the $700 billion economic bailout later lampooned by SNL) or are flat out ridiculous (being governor of Alaska gives her foreign policy experience due to its proximity to Russia?). Some other specifics:
- she said "no thanks" to the Bridge To Nowhere. This implies that she gave the money back to the federal government. This is misleading. The money was still allocated by the federal government to Alaska for transportation projects. It was not returned by the state to the federal government. Her statements imply that she told the federal government that the project was a waste of money and was returned.
- Palin as Mayor of Wasilla hired a lobbyist in Washington to get earmarks to bills to benefit her town. As governor, she continued to request more federal earmarks per capita than any other state when the state budget was flush with oil revenues. Now she is a reformer that wants to get rid of earmarks. Whatever is convenient.
- Palin has said that she is opposed to "explicit sex education". Yet, we aren't allowed to ask her any questions about how she might have changed her mind in light of her daughter's pregnancy. Where has abstinence-only education left her daughter? Pregnant, not having finished high school, and if you had seen her fiance's MySpace page before it was taken down, engaged to a kid who doesn't want to be tied down to anyone or anything. Sad. But don't ask, it's a private matter. Hope the taxpayers never have to help clean this one up. I know that sounds cruel, but everyone's thinking it, right?
Sarah Palin is simply a gimmick by John McCain to try to sway the conservative right to come out to the polls and vote. It is truly a reflection of his decision making skills in my mind. It shows me what kind of "maverick" he really is - not really much of one. I used to admire McCain. Not so much anymore.
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