Published: August 29, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Sarah Palin: The Gravitas of An Alaskan Snowflake
By Robert Paul Reyes
For months Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been harping on Sen. Barack Obama's alleged youth and inexperience.
If McCain places such a high premium on experience why did he pass over Mitt Romney, and select a virtual unknown as his vice-presidential running mate.
John McCain's most significant action as a presidential candidate displays his hypocrisy and poor judgement. How can McCain, with a straight face, allege that Obama is too inexperienced to serve as president?
Who is Sarah Palin? That's what even pundits and political junkies are exclaiming today. Who is this woman who will be one heartbeat away from the presidency if John McCain wins the general election?
Usually the electorate doesn't pay much attention to the VP selection, but John McCain is 72-years-old with a body ravaged by torture and cancer. There's an excellent chance that McCain will not survive his term in office.
It's incumbent upon voters, the press and pundits to go over this woman's record (such as it is) with a fine-tooth comb.
John Fournier of the Associated Press points out that Palin is a risky choice:
"John McCain's risky choice of Gov. Sarah Palin gives him a running mate who doubles down on his maverick image, may appeal to 'hockey moms' and other women, and counters Barack Obama's aura of new-generation change. But he may have undercut his best attack on the Democrat".
AP
McCain's pick is blatant pandering to disappointed Hillary voters. The choice will backfire because Hillary's legion of angry voters won't be thrilled with the selection of an anti-abortion vice-presidential candidate with extreme conservative social values.
McCain has perpetuated the Republican culture of corruption by choosing a Veep who is ethically-challenged.
"She (Palin) has an ethical issue as well. Alaska lawmakers are investigating whether Palin abused her power in firing a public safety commissioner. Lawmakers say they want to know whether Palin was mad at the commissioner for not firing an Alaska state trooper who went through a messy divorce and ongoing child custody battles with Palin's sister." AP
As a responsible editorialist, in the coming days and weeks, I will do my best to fill in the blanks of this empty suit. But I already know enough to declare that Palin is a horrible choice, and Hillary voters will not be hoodwinked into voting for a woman who is as inconsequential as an Alaskan snowflake.
Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.
* The views of Opinion writers do not necessarily reflect the views of NewsBlaze
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