I'm not buying it. This is the most transparent move I've ever seen!
Yes, I know. I'm getting too political around here. The fact is that I'm becoming a bit too interested in these machinations. Or perhaps it's just been that I've been trapped in the house for three days because of the heat outside.
Still, there are a few political thoughts I have about McCain's choice.
Picking a woman who hunts, has a lifetime membership in the NRA, eats moose burgers and can keep up with the boys is hardly going to appeal to anyone's desire to see a more feminine influence in world politics. He might as well have picked Margaret Thatcher! (Well, if she was American anyway :)
If he'd really wanted to take some risks, he should have selected Condoleezza Rice as his running mate. At least she has real foreign policy knowledge and experience. She speaks ghu-knows how many languages and has a very, very solid understanding of international politics. I might not agree with her political positions but, Gawd, is she ever smart! She's a brilliant woman and would have had a real impact on the election.
Sarah Palin? Yawn-oh-rama! I'm a social conservative and can hardly stay awake for that woman! Geez! Britney Spears to Ruth Ginsburg!
This really raises an important issue though, one I am beginning to consider seriously. It's not a new phenomena certainly but one worth mentioning anyway.
Politics should not be about personalities. It should be about policies and governance. It doesn't matter whether someone is Black, white, male, female, Hispanic, gay, straight or transgendered. It shouldn't even matter if she's an arthritic old Thaiphile with a blog on the Internet. Seriously. It doesn't matter.
What matters is the kind of policy positions he or she supports. What direction do they want to take the country's foreign policy? What are his or her domestic policies? It's not a question of what he or she says from the lectern during a speech, either. What's their history? In the case of the senators, what has their voting record been on key issues? Who are their allies?
Does anyone remember John McCain and his birthday cake three years ago? While Katrina devastated New Orleans, he was eating birthday cake with George Bush. Does anyone remember McCain's rather putrid joke about bombing Iran?
History is telling.
The key issue for me is the one articulated by Mario Cuomo in the speech I posted a few days ago:
"We believe in a government strong enough to use words like "love" and "compassion" and smart enough to convert our noblest aspirations into practical realities."
Where does your candidate stand?
~*
Friday, August 29, 2008
No way, no how, no Palin!
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22 comments:
Chani for VP? You made me smile.
Can you spell Desperation? That is all this is. A wild attempt to shock everyone back to the Maverick he ain't no more. How silly, how insulting, and very McCain.
Where does my candidate stand? Well, yesterday he was standing on the podium of the Mile High Stadium. :)
Pretty shocking and very calculated.
I think it's wonderful!
I am so tickled I can not begin to stop smiling!
How awesome!
All politicians are calculating, they all do what they do for votes, and if you think either of these two are not playing games, you would be mistaken.
But I think it's a wonderful thing, that we get to make history this year.
This country will either see the first Black man as president, or the First woman as a Vice president.
I think either one is very outstanding. We may not be getting the best leaders, but as a country we will have the opportunity to have our biases challenged! To grow as a culture,country and global community.
So she's not feminine? 4 or 5 kids? hockey mom?
Chani... I am surprised... I don't know much about her other than what i have read today in the headlines, but I heard her speak briefly on the radio and she didn't sound like old Margaret to me. ( and by the by, I liked margaret thatcher...maybe not all her policies, but the strength of her character and convictions)
I find it surprising that you would make an assumption about her offerings as a female in the political arena...
but to each hgis own.
My candidate stood up yesterday and accepted the Democratic nomination for President. And he made me cry with his amazing speech. There is nothing and no one McCain or any other Republican can trot out that would change my mind about Barack Obama - He is the face of a new America, of the rosy future we all yearn for.
He is my hero.
One man or woman can't do all the "work". At best they say yea or nay to what has already been vetted by those who surround them. It might be nice to have a leader who is inspirational, charismatic and can actually speak English. Someone who may not further alienate the rest of the world. Guess I'm saying personality and intellect makes a difference to me. Besides it is just time for the pendulum to swing the other way for awhile, as it always does.
I think he just made a HUGE mistake. That makes me happy.
Maybe she'll go hunting with Chaney.
How cynical of McCain to choose a woman because Hillary Clinton came so close to the Democratic nomination, and because Barack Obama is non-white. He's trying to demonstrate that he, too, stands for change.
But as you suggested, Palin doesn't represent meaningful change if she is just another good ole boy in women's clothing.
I just heard Palin speak on the newscast and had to leave the room. Her voice is like nails on a blackboard.
LOL! I thought she sounded like Sally Field. Any minute I expected her to break out into "they like me! They really, really like me!"
:)
i see the Palin addition to the ticket as being mainly about OIL
I've been saying for at least two years that Rice should be the next Republican VP nominee. I may be partial because she speaks fluent Russian but she does make me sit up and take notice, in a good way. Palin, who is she and what experience does she have? I think it's just more of the same.
yep, sarah got a gun
hope you dont my me stopping by, have a safe and blessed weekend
I totally agree with painted maypole. It's all about oil, and a back door into drilling in the protected areas of alaska. Woman or not, it doesn't float with me.
Our best hope for progressive change is Obama. He has my vote, and no amount of grandstanding from the other candidate will sway me.
Great blog, Chani, and beautiful.
re this: "Politics should not be about personalities. It should be about policies and governance. It doesn't matter whether someone is Black, white, male, female, Hispanic, gay, straight or transgendered. It shouldn't even matter if she's an arthritic old Thaiphile with a blog on the Internet. Seriously. It doesn't matter." You are exactly right.
Palin's choice was not made by McCain, but by his political handlers like Rove. Palin has exactly zero to offer other than what most of us could. Her lack of experience on foreign affairs is VERY troubling, especially now.
Oh my. That's what I thought. Not only was it a desperate, lame, pathetic attempt to lure the Hillary supporters. But to woo back the voters who didn't trust him...I'm referring to the ones who are more interested in discriminating against gays and end a woman's right to make medical choices for herself than they do about poverty. It makes me sad that we are supposedly fighting against theocratic fundamentalist factions while creating a theocracy here in the States where I was taught I would never be forced to adhere to other people's religious rules. But then again, I'm one of those 'heathens' who thinks of religion/spirituality as something beautiful and personal not to be corrupted or used for political gain.
I think to underestimate the choice of Palin would be at our own peril(Obama supporters).Karl Rove uses divisive political tactics and a twisted definition of "patriotism bullying" which I find rather scary. The saddest thing of all is that it worked so well. I'm pretty insulted but at the same time not surprised. It's pretty ridiculous to assume that as a woman, I would stupid be enough to vote against my own interest or that since I don't even know what the issues are, I'll just check the box just because I want to see a woman on the ticket. It just enforces my determination to vote this November and I hope it does the same for everyone else.
You could never get too political Chani. I always enjoy it when you do....BTW I think it's funny how they've bashed Hillary for years and years and now all of a sudden, gushing and praising like there's no tomorrow.
Ouch, I just noticed all the typos....well, you can't say this post didn't get me going. :O)
So true, theres such transparency to the motivations behind this choice of VP... surely its an insult to thinking women...
Thanks for your voice my friend,
M
You make very good points. We should be looking at a candidates policies, no matter where we live.
I would humbly suggest that the great woman Margaret Thatcher would not have chosen to be associated with the circus show that is currently taking place in your home land.
I say, "Let them eat cake!" and let someone else run the country!
If politics wouldn't be about personalities then Gore would have won the presidency by a landslide a few years ago. Sometimes I sit back and wonder just what America would have looked like if he had won. In a way though, I think Gore (perhaps) has done more outside the presidency than he might have done.
My stomach turns thinking that McCain and all his hunting buddies might win.
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