Yesterday, John McCain turned 72 (ulp) years old. Instead of RECEIVING gifts, he gave one. To Barack Obama. He gave Barack Sarah Palin.
Who is Sarah Palin? She’s the former mayor of a 9,000 person city in Alaska and a two-year governor. Here’s her take on the vice presidency earlier this year:
Oops. Well, hopefully somebody has filled her in on the details of “what it is, exactly, that a v.p. does everyday.” They prolly oughta let her know that one of those things is a little something we in the business like to call “become the president” should something happen to McCain if he’s elected.
She really must have a pretty strong personality because McCain actually has only met her one or two times. She clearly left enough of an impression that she was able to eclipse such other top-contenders for the hallowed Veep spot such as Mitt Romney or Charlie Crist or Mike Huckabee. There are other strong, talented, experienced women in the GOP but somehow, Sarah Palin, with no foreign policy experience whatsoever, managed to rise above them.
You kinda have to feel sorry for Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She’s a highly qualified GOP woman who was passed over for Palin. Here she is, bravely trying to spin this in a positive way, even though she doesn’t actually even know Palin or know anything about her. It’s kinda sad, really…
But, hey, at least Mr. Seven-Felony-Indictments, Ted Stevens, has endorsed her. LOL!
If McCain is trying to appeal to disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters, I’m not sure Palin is his best choice, actually. She’s actually said, in public in an out-loud voice, that she didn’t like Hillary’s “whining” with regard to gender issues. That and her anti-choice, pro-gun, global climate change-denying beliefs are going to be a bit of a difficult pill for many Hillsters to swallow, I think.
On the whole, I think most women are kind of insulted by this choice. I know my wife is and she’s not the only one. We received an unsolicited email yesterday from someone close to us (a woman and a life-long but uninvolved Democrat) that had this to say:
Now I know this might sound funny, but after hearing McCain’s choice for VP today, I am even more fired up than ever for Obama. I mean, could he have possibly made a more politically transparent choice of “My Country” Second, “Me First”?
I’m so infuriated by his choice, but primarily because it seems so irresponsible to me for him to select a virtual unknown that he has only known for a few months with zero foreign policy experience to be a potential heartbeat away from the potential presidency. Is he that desperate that he really didn’t care that much about the potential future of his own country?
Also, it seems so clear that he just wanted a woman, any woman to be on his ticket to try and woo over the Hillary supporters. Someone today called it a “Hail Mary” pass and I couldn’t agree more.
Well, I know I’m not supposed to talk politics too much with family members, but knowing that you are each Obama supporters, it couldn’t hurt too much.
By the way, oddly enough, it was McCain’s politically selfish choice that made me make my first donation to Obama’s campaign today. I just felt like I wanted to do something.
This says it all, I think.
So, happy birthday, Senator McCain and thanks for the gift. We’ll be sure to use it every single day between now and November.
Now I’m off to canvass for the Obama campaign. After a week of convention coverage, a stellar acceptance speech and this nice gift from McCain, it should be a very fun day.
I’m just sayin’…
