North to the Future as Palin Joins Ticket
I was sitting at work listening to the radio when reports began to trickle in as to who would be McCain’s choice for Vice President. Potential running mates were being crossed off throughout the morning and those who fell by the wayside included Mitt Romney, Joe Lieberman and Tim Pawlenty.
Reports then began to circulate that a private jet registered to a Washington State firm had landed in Dayton last night. It was rumored that a woman in her forties had disembarked from the plane on Thursday night. Soon after, it was revealed that Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska was chosen to be John McCain’s running mate!
I was very excited when I learned that he had selected Governor Palin as she is a solid conservative who has a history of being a maverick, cutting taxes, and fighting corruption in her home state. She has been married for 20 years, is a life member of the NRA, is solidly pro-life and is the mother of five children. I was also impressed to learn that her oldest son is a soldier and soon will be deploying to Iraq.
Her most recent son, Trig, was born in April with Down Syndrome. After he was born she stated to reporters that “I’m looking at him right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?”. Reading that quote with a new son on the way almost made my assistant and me cry.
On the way to lunch I was able to hear a little bit of her acceptance speech and when I got home I was able to watch excerpts of it on-line. Governor Palin was very well spoken, poised and down to earth. Listening to her she presents a very stark contrast to the arrogance that permeates the Obama/Biden ticket.
Her nomination quickly drew fire from the Obama camp who issued the following short statement:
Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency,”
Of course, the schizophrenic Obama campaign retracted the statment an hour and a half later and issued a second that was more congratulatory in tone. Sarah Palin, unlike either Barack Obama or Joe Biden has executive experience in that she was a mayor and also a governor. Obama was a “community organizer”, got elected to the Senate on a fluke, and promptly began campaigning for a promotion. Of all the argument available to the Democrats I do not believe that the experience issue is the one they want to rely on to discredit Governor Palin.
Overall, I am delighted by McCain’s selection of Governor Palin! It is wonderful to have the first woman on a GOP ticket and I think she will make a good Vice President. I am really looking forward to her debating Biden and am excited to vote for the Republican on November 4th!
Executive experience? really? would this experience include trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired, then sacking the guy who did not do the firing and then hiring a guy in his place who came armed with a letter of reprimand regarding sexual harassment which she knew about? I do not have a problem with him choosing a woman, but surely someone a bit more competent. a month ago, she did not even know what a VP did! go check youtube. another thing about her being a mother of five – who is going to look after her young baby when she is being a VP – provided of course she knows what a VP does by then…she might realise then that it stands for something other than Very Pretty!
John Adams did not know what the Vice President did when he was elected and the office has varied in its roles over time. Officially the Vice President is to be the President of the Senate pursuant to Article I Section 3 Clause 4. The Vice President is also the first in the line of succesion if the President is removed, dies or resigns while in office pursuant to the 25th Amendment. Other than that, the President can use the Vice President as they see fit.
Having a ex-brother in law fired is not right but in my book it does not stack up to Obama’s land dealings, his votes on infanticide or Biden having to drop out of the 1984 Presidential race in 1984 due to charges of plagiarism.
Lastly, concerning the role of her as the Vice President impacting her role as a mother, would you be asking that question if she was a man? Nice sexist comment A broad!
The problem I have with her doing her job, is that both parents work in her house and that a child with special needs would presumeably do better with one parent caring for them. If her husband was home looking after the children (and not working for big oil who she apparently stands up to?), then I do not have a problem with her working in such a demanding job. But don’t stand on a box and proclaim her conservative family orientated beliefs when the kids have both parents working…By the way, maybe you should send her your comment on the job of a VP – there is no need to inform me what a VP does, I know, she doesn’t.
The great thing about America is that parents can choose how they want to raise their own children. I personally know a local attorney who has a baby with Down Syndrome and both her and her husband work. The have found superb child care and their baby is doing well. It is safe to say the Vice President of the United States could find adequate child care to watch over her son. And again, your contention is sexist, demeaning to women and shows a lack of enlightment.
So having family values means the mom has to stay at home and raise the children? Is it still 1950 or have we as a nation progressed? Your statement that working parents cannot be family orientated is ridiculous.
I love that Democrats have a new found affinity for stay at home moms!
Good observation AE! So much for equality of the sexes.
If you read my comment carefully you will see that I said EITHER parent – not just the mom. In fact I too have worked when I had my first. And not with my second but am considering it again now that she is five and entering school. I do believe that working parents can be family orientated but with a special needs child so young, is being with a parent not the best thing for the child? Whether it be mom or dad? I am continually amazed at women (and especially single mothers) who work and raise families – I know that it is tough to work when yourdid not children are in daycare, I have done it! So do not put words in my mouth.
The point is, you seem to divert back to one single issue and tend to ignore the important ones of (a) she does NOT know what a VP does, (b) her inadequate executive experience – 9000 town residents compared to 301,139,947 hard working americans?
I am not the one living in the past. Who cares today if John Adams know what the VP did. People here today, care about now and now does not seem to know…
[All this banter aside though, congratulations on your baby due! really - it is great news!
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As noted above I am amazed at the number of stay at home parent advocates coming out of the Democratic Party following the nod to Palin. What about Baracks poor young daughters? Will he be able to balance the much more stressful role of being President and still be able to shower them with the attention they need? Why is this question not being posed to him as it is being posed to Governor Palin?
The experience argument is still more damaging to Obama than it is to Palin. Obama is heading up the Democrats ticket with a resume that is short on achievements and completely lacks executive experience. Palin was also a Governor of Alaska in addition to being a mayor so the 9,000 number is rather meaningless.
The comment about Adams was for historical context and to illustrate that many men who have occupied the office of Vice President have not completely understood the role of the office upon election to it.
Thank you! I am really excited about being a dad!
thanks for the comment! LETS WIN THIS THING!
Heck yeah!
You forgot to mention the fact that she’s kind of Hot!
Ooops!
You’re not the first to mention that and you won’t be the last. Per Craig Ferguson, the Scottish comedian who stars on late-night US television, Palin has a “naughty librarian vibe”.
I have a customer who once was an housewife at home raising her children.
He husband owned a mediocre car dealership in Michigan.
He passed away abruptly.
She took over operating the dealership. It grew. Today she’s the most successful woman in her field.
At the time she took over operations, she knew nothing about it. She learned.
My point is this: I don’t care what her experience is. If she has a good mind for the work she is to do, she’ll get it done.
Prior experience is *no* guarantee of good results. Anyone out in the private sector who runs their own business knows this. Ambition and Common sense smarts will win over experience every day.
If Mrs. Palin handles herself well over the next few months, I think the choice of Palin will kick ass.
I too think the choice of Palin will kick ass!
In case you were wondering. This is a profile of my Customer:
http://blog.mlive.com/oak_business_review/2008/01/executive_profile_irma_elder_c.html
Very interesting.
Oh, I know some one too. Actually I know two people, I know a black guy who spent 27 years in jail and became president and ran a successful and wonderful nation. I also know a guy who was governer in a state that now has cities who refuse to have a presidential library with his name who came into the oval office 8 years ago and ran a country into the ground…
Really? Well I know of three men who took residence in the White House with minimal experience and had horrible administrations. One was an intelectual from Princeton, one was the son of a moonshine runner and the other was a peanut farmer from Georgia.
Car dealership vs The office of VP – really? My dad owened a very successful car dealership for 45 years, maybe he can be VP!
Maybe he can! I hear that Nader may be looking for someone. How about McKinney?
Good for you!
I’m no Bush Fan. I’m not a fan of hipocrites though.
So what is the criteria for being vice president? A huge rectum?
I have no comment for the last part…
Thank you for the comments! You’ve made this entry very entertaining!
Oh, my pleasure – nothing like a bit of banter to pass a long weekend!
Same here. I am sure this election will lend itself to much more lively banter before it is through!