The Vice Presidential Debate

Sarah Palin didn’t do as poorly as I’d supposed she would do.  She didn’t fall apart.  She didn’t ramble incoherently as she did in her recent interview with Katie Couric.  So when I say, “She did well,” I mean, “She did well in comparison to what I expected her to do.”

Joe Klein’s article for Time online really sums up the evening quite nicely:  Palin Was Fine, But This Debate Was No Contest.  Read that article and tell me what you think.

I watched the debate at my friend John’s house.  John’s not really all that interested in politics, but he indulged my desire to see what the VP candidates had to say.  We watched Biden and Palin banter back and forth as we munched on a delicious meal prepared by John’s girlfriend. Before I had a chance to express my opinions, John was the first to say, “He’s kicking her ass!”

At the beginning, Palin looked like a deer in headlights.  She loosened up as time went on, and was entertaining to watch.  But let’s face it:  John is right… Biden kicked her butt.  Only the most stubborn, die hard Republicans will claim otherwise.  Her personal victory was in the fact that she didn’t crumple into a pile of nerves.  As Joe Klein said, “She displayed an ability, for the first time since her convention speech, to repeat with a fair amount of credibility, the formulations that her handlers had given her.”  That was very obvious.

She avoided questions to which she didn’t have answers, going off in a totally different direction than what was asked. She used plenty of “fluff” that makes a person like her, but she didn’t really provide any meat. She said absolutely nothing to persuade me that she’s ready to step in as President should that be necessary. But she did reaffirm that she’s a regular, everyday person just like the rest of us. She’s quite likable, and I’d have a beer with her while watching NFL football, but I’d still have to say she’s simply not ready for the VP position.

I have to honestly admit this:  I have been looking for reasons to change my vote to the Republican ticket.  As I converse with Christians around the country, there are and will be many who think it’s downright sinful to vote for Obama.  It would be much easier to say, “I’ve changed my mind and am voting for McCain/Palin because of __________.”   But the truth of the matter is that I have yet to see anything from those two that changes my opinions. I am still a Christian and former Republican-Ticket voter who will be punching my ballot for Obama/Biden.

What say you?

If you didn’t have a chance to see the debate, here it is in full (1 Hour, 32 Minutes):

Just How Stupid Does the Republican Party Think We Are?

I’m preparing to take my son camping today. After he gets out of class we’re heading for the hills for a few days of quality time, fishing and “roughing it”.

But if I have the time to do so while he’s still at school, I’m heading downtown to change my voter registration status. I’ve been a Republican since the day I turned 18 on December 23rd, 1991. I’ve voted the Republican Party line every single time the polls were open in Local, State and National races, with one exception: GWBs re-election campaign. But the time has come to change my affiliation.

I’m going to register Independent.

Why?

Because I am getting very sick of having my intelligence insulted.

This feeling first began, as I’ve pointed out before, when I realized that it was the Republicans who made abortion legal in this country, and yet they have the audacity to label Democrats Baby-Killers, using the abortion issue THEY BROUGHT TO US to win over the Christian vote. I am disappointed that I didn’t catch on to this sooner. I have no excuse for buying into the lie that the Republican Party is really Pro-Life.

George W. Bush’s last term… I can’t begin to put into words. If I began, I wouldn’t finish for a very long time.

And now the final straw has come: Sara Palin.

I love John McCain. He’s a hero for what he did for this country. But bluntly: he made a huge mistake when choosing his Vice Presidential Candidate. Yep, she’s fiery. And I really enjoyed listening to her speak this past Wednesday evening. She cracked me up with the zingers she threw out there. But the Center for Disease Control says the lifespan for the average American male is 77 years, which means at age 72, John McCain has an above-average chance of leaving this country in the hands of the candidate he chooses for Vice President, and here are a few things I do not appreciate when considering a VP that could become Commander in Chief of the most powerful country in the world:

About 20 months ago, Sara Palin was the part-time mayor of a town the size of Corning (for those of you outside the Northern California area, Corning has about 7,000 people). Based on this fact, I have much hope for my son’s mother. She, after all, was born and raised in a town of the same size. With all the people she knows, I bet she could get the votes needed to become part time mayor of her town, and then just a few years down the road, who knows? Maybe Vice President of the United States! Woo hoo! Go Wendy!

Sara Palin obtained her first passport just last year, when she wanted to visit Alaska’s troops in Iraq. Yes, in 2007. So the potential Commander in Chief, upon whom we must rely to interact on our behalf with all the other countries of the world, has ONLY been outside THIS country once? Just last year? HUH?

Sara Palin is now the Governor of a state who’s population is half the size of the population of Sacramento County. Since many of you don’t live in Northern California, pick a large city within driving distance of where you do live. I’d bet that city has a larger population than Sara Palin’s entire state. I’m not saying it’s not nifty that she’s a Governor, but I AM saying, quite clearly, that she is not ready to be the Leader of the Free World.

As for education, Sara Palin has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications-Journalism from the University of Idaho.

And we’re not even going to get into the investigation she’s currently under to see if she abused her power when she allegedly had a man fired because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s husband (whom the sister is divorcing).

The world laughs at us now with Dubya as our President. How much more will that be the case if our Commander in Chief comes with the credentials just listed?

I know stubborn. Believe me. I’m a very stubborn person. I “GET” the reasons some people just won’t leave the good ol’ Republican party no matter what. I get how some people will pretend they’re happy as can be with McCain’s choice for Vice President, following the Party wherever it may lead.

I get it.

But come on! Deep inside you’ve GOT to be insulted by this choice just as much as I am! Aren’t the red flags going off like crazy in your head? Don’t you start to feel like the Republicans just think we’ll stupidly fall for ANYTHING?

Don’t answer that. I don’t want to hear ya lie.

(please read the first comment to this post)

Sarah Palin and One Thing That Excites Me About This Race

No matter who wins, history will be made. If Barack Obama is elected we have our first African American President. If John McCain prevails we have our first female Vice President. Despite the differences in policy, when either of these two scenarios is made a reality our country wins. For some reason the thought of this really excites me.

As for Sarah Palin: who can’t help liking a person who practices what they preach? How often does that actually happen in politics? As I mentioned in a comment on my last post, my very good friend David Harter made me aware of this tidbit of information:

Palin’s strong pro-life views were highlighted earlier this year when she and her husband Todd were informed she was carrying a Down syndrome child but chose to carry through with the pregnancy.

“We’ve both been very vocal about being pro-life,” Palin told the Associated Press. “We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential.”

The day after the birth, the Palins said in a statement: “We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed.”

The child mentioned in that quote, by the way, was just born this past April. She has a newborn and is now running for Vice President? Can you say “wonder woman”?  Another of her children is in the Army, heading for Iraq.

Even though she’s caught up in the middle of an ethics investigation, I think Sarah Palin will bring over a lot of the Christian vote that otherwise wasn’t all that excited about John McCain. He made a pretty wise decision to ask her to run with him. Did she win me over? Oh man… dare I say it? No.  Guys, I still really like Obama. But there is plenty of time left for McCain and Palin to convince me to vote for them, and I fully intend to keep my mind open.

I will not be too disappointed if either candidate is elected. If I vote for one, and the other wins, I’ll still be proud to call the winner my President. What a great race, and what a great year!