While it may be tempting to focus on Governor Palin's qualifications to be Vice President and President if required, I think the focus should be on McCain and how his selection reflects on the type of decision making we can expect from him.
Here are a few questions I'm curious about:
Was this a quick gut-instinct decision or did he fully vet his nominee? Today we've learned that no one from McCain's campaign sifted through the archives of her local newspaper which are only accessible in paper form. The first to do so was a Democratic operative.
How does he rationalize keeping his main campaign message that experience matters? His VP pick is a 44 year old with only 18 months in statewide office, zero on foreign policy.
How does he rationalize selecting a VP with conflicting positions on key issues. One we know about is recognizing man's contribution to global warming. He believes it. She does not.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
First thoughts on Gov Palin
McCain needs to be given credit for helping break a gender barrier for the Republican Party by appointing a woman to be his VP nominee. No other Republican presidential nominee has done this.
He also must be given credit for knowing his candidacy is in need of a game changing move. This appointment, like a Hail Mary pass, comes with both risks and rewards. The risks are becoming evident:
(1) Trooper-Gate: a bipartisan state legislative panel in Alaska has launched an ethics investigation of her alleged wrongful firing of the Public Safety Commissioner who would not fire the Governor's former brother-in-law, a current state trooper who is going through a messy custody fight with her sister.
(2) She differs from McCain on some key energy issues. She does not believe global warming is man made and she supports drilling in the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
(3) She may be more ideological and to the right of George W. Bush: Here are a few of her positions: She supports teaching creationism in public schools. She opposes abortion in cases of rape or incest. She has a record of cutting child care services in her state. She does not believe the polar bear should be protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Polar bears...who doesn't like polar bears? Well, I guess seals don't. Other than seals and maybe fish, who doesn't want to protect polar bears?
[All joking aside, the declining population of polar bears is a serious concern. Go here to learn more: www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/threats.html]
The next few weeks will tell us more about her positions and her ability to handle a national campaign.
He also must be given credit for knowing his candidacy is in need of a game changing move. This appointment, like a Hail Mary pass, comes with both risks and rewards. The risks are becoming evident:
(1) Trooper-Gate: a bipartisan state legislative panel in Alaska has launched an ethics investigation of her alleged wrongful firing of the Public Safety Commissioner who would not fire the Governor's former brother-in-law, a current state trooper who is going through a messy custody fight with her sister.
(2) She differs from McCain on some key energy issues. She does not believe global warming is man made and she supports drilling in the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
(3) She may be more ideological and to the right of George W. Bush: Here are a few of her positions: She supports teaching creationism in public schools. She opposes abortion in cases of rape or incest. She has a record of cutting child care services in her state. She does not believe the polar bear should be protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Polar bears...who doesn't like polar bears? Well, I guess seals don't. Other than seals and maybe fish, who doesn't want to protect polar bears?
[All joking aside, the declining population of polar bears is a serious concern. Go here to learn more: www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/threats.html]
The next few weeks will tell us more about her positions and her ability to handle a national campaign.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Obama's Nomination Speech
This part of an ABC news story sums up my feelings the night of Obama's speech.
Looking around the filled stadium at people dancing, cheering, and applauding, Texas state repesentative and delegate Mike Villarreal had tears in his eyes.
"I want to be able to tell my kids I was here when a black man and a white man got elected to lead our party," Villarreal said, "And I'm part of that for them."
Villarreal described moments in history you read about in textbooks and, taking a minute to collect himself he said, "This is one of them."
For the entire news story go to: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Conventions/story?id=5677582&page=1
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Day 3 of DNC
Day 3 was as a great day for the Dem's.
When I left the convention hall I felt I had just left a theatrical performance in the best sense. There was drama, suspense, characters and a surprise ending.
With Hillary offering all of New York's votes to put Obama over the top and moving to stop the roll call vote to nominate Obama by acclimation, you could not ask for any more. She did what she needed to do and then some to help unity her party.
Bill was brilliant. My favorite part of his speech was the following:
“The choice is clear. The Republicans in a few days will nominate a good man who has served our country heroically and who suffered terribly in a Vietnamese prison camp. He loves his country every bit as much as we do. As a senator, he has shown his independence of right-wing orthodoxy on some very important issues.
But on the two great questions of this election -- how to rebuild the American dream and how to restore America's leadership in the world -- he still embraces the extreme philosophy that has defined his party for more than 25 years.
And it is, to be fair to all the Americans who aren't as hard-core Democrats as we, it's a philosophy the American people never actually had a chance to see in action fully until 2001, when the Republicans finally gained control of both the White House and the Congress.
Then we saw what would happen to America if the policies they had talked about for decades actually were implemented. And look what happened.”
Two things I love most about this quote. First, Bill starts, not in the common defensive posture having to explain why we D's are patriotic, but by recognizing McCain loves his country as much as we do. He just has bad ideas of how to love his country.
Second, he subordinates McCain's strengths-character and history of being a maverick-by recognizing them and setting them aside for this election's central question. This campaign is about choosing the best person to “rebuild the American dream” and “restore America's leadership in the world.”
When I left the convention hall I felt I had just left a theatrical performance in the best sense. There was drama, suspense, characters and a surprise ending.
With Hillary offering all of New York's votes to put Obama over the top and moving to stop the roll call vote to nominate Obama by acclimation, you could not ask for any more. She did what she needed to do and then some to help unity her party.
Bill was brilliant. My favorite part of his speech was the following:
“The choice is clear. The Republicans in a few days will nominate a good man who has served our country heroically and who suffered terribly in a Vietnamese prison camp. He loves his country every bit as much as we do. As a senator, he has shown his independence of right-wing orthodoxy on some very important issues.
But on the two great questions of this election -- how to rebuild the American dream and how to restore America's leadership in the world -- he still embraces the extreme philosophy that has defined his party for more than 25 years.
And it is, to be fair to all the Americans who aren't as hard-core Democrats as we, it's a philosophy the American people never actually had a chance to see in action fully until 2001, when the Republicans finally gained control of both the White House and the Congress.
Then we saw what would happen to America if the policies they had talked about for decades actually were implemented. And look what happened.”
Two things I love most about this quote. First, Bill starts, not in the common defensive posture having to explain why we D's are patriotic, but by recognizing McCain loves his country as much as we do. He just has bad ideas of how to love his country.
Second, he subordinates McCain's strengths-character and history of being a maverick-by recognizing them and setting them aside for this election's central question. This campaign is about choosing the best person to “rebuild the American dream” and “restore America's leadership in the world.”
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Hillary Clinton Delegates
On the first day of the convention, delegates are told to show up early and pick a seat that will remain assigned to us throughout the entire convention.
I sit among a combination of Obama and Hillary delegates. The Hillary delegates have a lot to share and are in different places in terms of accepting the outcome of the Primary and supporting Obama. I've learned a lot from them.
Today during Hillary's speech one of my Hillary-delegate friends cried. She leaned over and told me how hard it was to accept Hillary's defeat, but that supporting Obama would be easier given Hillary's strong endorsement of him.
I've come to appreciate the depth of support Hillary enjoys with many and the real emotions that must be worked through for each person in their own way.
I sit among a combination of Obama and Hillary delegates. The Hillary delegates have a lot to share and are in different places in terms of accepting the outcome of the Primary and supporting Obama. I've learned a lot from them.
Today during Hillary's speech one of my Hillary-delegate friends cried. She leaned over and told me how hard it was to accept Hillary's defeat, but that supporting Obama would be easier given Hillary's strong endorsement of him.
I've come to appreciate the depth of support Hillary enjoys with many and the real emotions that must be worked through for each person in their own way.
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