There is no question that during his lifetime John McCain has put his country first, something all Americans can agree upon, respect, and admire. In fact, he has made this the central theme of his campaign: Country first.
However, in the past two weeks I’m wondering if John McCain has “lost his bearings” a little. After meeting Sarah Palin no more than two times, he offered her the vice presidential job. Is this honorable or impulsive? Some serious questions need to be asked about his decision to put a relatively unknown and supremely inexperienced one-year governor a heartbeat away from being the leader of the free world. Was his VP decision purely politically motivated? Or was he putting the “country first” as he likes to advertise?
McCain is famous for saying, “I’d rather lose an election than lose a war.” I find myself questioning the sincerity of that statement after leveling the charge of in-experience against Barack Obama and then picking a woman just as in-experienced. Many argue that the questions of experience raised against Sarah Palin reveal deep bias within the media and sexism, because Barack Obama is just as inexperienced. (I would disagree pointing to the extremely successful and organized campaign he has run for the past two years.) But let us not forget: Barack Obama got to where he is by a little thing called Democracy. He actually fought his way to the top, and he earned the trust of more than 18 million Americans.
Sarah Palin has not.
I think John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin is not just political pandering, but unethical. It is simply irresponsible on his part as a 72 year old man to put someone so inexperienced and so profoundly un-examined by the American people this close to the Presidency.
Sarah Palin’s first on-camera interview proved she was not ready to be President. She decided that war with Russia was justified, that God has a pre-ordained destiny for this country, and she was unable to tell Charlie Gibson what the Bush Doctrine was. And many say that Gibson was too soft!
Charlie Gibson: “Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?”
Sarah Palin: “In what respect Charlie?”
Charlie Gibson: “What do you interpret it to be?”
Sarah Palin: “His world-view?”
Gibson: “No the Bush Doctrine, annunciated in 2002.”
Palin: I believe what President Bush has attempted to do is … rid this world of Islamic Extremism, terrorist who have been hell-bent on destroying this nation.”
Enough said.
