That Governor from Alaska

First and foremost I want it to be very clear that my objections to Sarah Palin as our next Vice President have nothing to do with her gender and everything to do with her pompous, right-wing, conservative, elitist attitude.

There is a great op-ed in the NY Times today which I think sums up the most basic and obvious concern about Ms. Palin, she is completely and utterly clueless on some of the most key issues facing our country today.

Check out the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/opinion/13herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

I think the selection of Ms. Palin is a curious one, one that the Party is most certainly forcing itself to believe in. I found it odd that McCain would select someone who disagrees with him on some very key issues, I wonder how they think they aren't going to look contradictory during debates or interviews. Isn't the point of a running mate to find someone who is qualified, able to step in at a moments notice, in agreement with the major issues and many of the minor ones? Since when is picking a Vice Presidential candidate about selecting someone who will create buzz, stir the pot, or attempt to prevent any and all attacks from the other side by playing "victim"? More importantly, have we seen at any point in our recent history a selection in which the VP candidate disagrees with the Presidential candidate on prominent issues?

I am somewhat confused by the general public's reaction to Ms. Palin's selection, widely embraced and invigorating life into what was a a very distraught Republican base. Yes she stands in line on many issues with the traditional conservatives, which makes her the very antithesis of why John McCain used to be so popular on both sides of the line. Furthermore, she stands for many things Mr. McCain was so outspoken against back in his previous runs at the presidency, she represents the very REASON why the Republicans cast Mr. McCain aside in the 2000 primaries and election. Does no one remember the talk about a possible third party run for Mr. McCain because of his broad appeal to the left and right wings?

The Democrats have a responsibility to inform the public of these differences between the two candidates, they have a responsibility to make sure the public is aware that this is a stunt and a hasty decision which was made out of a desperate need to become President by a washed up politician who is seeing his time run out. This decision had nothing to do with picking the right person for the job, nothing to do with finding a "reformer" or a "maverick" and everything to do with appeasing a group of people who disagree with him on so many levels.

More importantly, it is becoming clear Ms. Palin is most certainly unqualified for the job. Everyone needs to take a step back and realize, if John McCain is the next president of the United States there is a very real risk of Ms. Palin having to step in. Is this someone we want running our country? Someone who is absolutely clueless on foreign policy, who would further drive the economy into this downward trend we are already in, and someone who lies and flip flops about issues, I hope not (John Kerry anyone?).

Sure, many will argue that Mr. Obama doesn't have the experience needed to obtain such a high position. One of the many big differences between Mr. Obama and Ms. Palin is that he was chosen by the PEOPLE to be a Presidential Nominee. Ms. Palin has been handed a gift, she was selected by Mr. McCain (in a hasty decision which not many people knew about), no one in the general public chose her to do anything on a national level. Mr. Obama went through an intense primary, vetting process, and has been thoroughly tested throughout his campaign. I am baffled by this entire process, how could someone so unqualified be handed a position that could potentially make her the most powerful woman in the world? Mr. Obama may not have the foreign policy experience of John McCain, but if I recall correctly, George Bush didn't exactly have a stellar foreign policy resume either. We need to realize that more of this type of foreign policy is only going to hurt us in the world community. We need a fresh vision, a fresh set of eyes and a fresh set of ideas on how to remedy the situation.

I take great stock in the diversity of Mr. Obama and his upbringing. We can't possible begin to underestimate his life experiences and the things that have shaped who he is. From my own personal experience (traveling and living abroad for an extended period of time, growing up in a diverse family, etc.) I have begun to realize how important these types of experiences are. I can see the differences in opinions, views, and ideas amongst my peers who have not had the same experiences as I. I am no better than they are, just as Mr. Obama is no better a person than anyone else, however, these experiences speak volumes about how someone handles certain situations. It tells a lot about how someone will view and assess a situation. We can't possibly afford to go further into war, being new wars, and continue to alienate the world community.