My regular readers will know by now that I am not terribly “politically correct” and generally I make no apologies for it. I am also a Libertarian so I have more than my share of issues with both the Republicans and the Democrats when it comes to national policy. This post is going to be unabashedly political in nature and I make no apology for that either, but fair warning seemed to be in order so consider yourself “warned”. Those not wishing to read about politics on an “all things pandemic” blog should turn away now.
It is not hard to figure out that I am a woman since I make no attempt to hide my gender and I’ve been open about my age, now several months away from hitting 50. I make those restatements because when I was a young woman “equal rights” meant “equal” and not “special”. When I became a police officer I was expected to perform equal to my male counterparts and that was the crux of the original Women’s Movement, the opportunity to be equal, instead of being granted “special considerations” because we were/are somehow not equal. I find the second incarnation of the Women’s Movement to be offensive and an embarrassment and I state that bluntly because I would never, ever, consider voting for someone because she was woman but rather solely judging what she would bring to the office being sought. Furthermore, I consider those that would cast their vote for that reason to be ill-informed and superficial.
I now will admit that when I first looked up exactly who this Palin woman is I was momentarily horrified that she might well occupy my country’s number two seat of governance.
As a non-Christian my thoughts are not always especially charitable when it comes to “Conservative Christians” in positions that do or can have a say in who sits on the Supreme Court of the United States. Conversely, my thoughts are equally uncharitable when it comes to “Liberal Democrats” in those positions but for other, though equally important reasons.
The Supreme Court is viewed and [unfortunately] utilized as a “tool” to enact party agendas instead of what its intended function, that of being the final arbiter of the Constitutional Rights of US citizens and residents. What the Supreme Court decides often has far reaching ramifications for how we go about our lives which explains why it is viewed [and utilized] as such an important adjunct to a political party’s agenda.
Sarah Palin is a conservative christian and for that she makes no apologies so she earns a few points from me on that alone. Her religiosity is also something that is genuine and decidedly not a politically expedient affectation and for that she earns quite a few more points. I have a great deal of contempt for people who do things only because they are politically expedient or beneficial. In point of fact, Sarah Palin makes no apologies whatever for who and what she is: a 44 year old wife, mother, ex-beauty pagent contestant, christian conservative, former mayor, current governor, who sets about fixing that which is broken instead of waiting for someone else, anyone else, to do it instead.
Sara Palin became governor of her state [Alaska] by successfully challenging the corrupt sitting Republican [her own party] administration on a platform of political reformation. She saw a system that was broken and rotten, looked around her to see who else might “fix” the problem and seeing no one in sight, hitched up her skirts and did it herself.
Sara Palin didn’t remain in her safe and cozy Mayoral chair whining about what “should be” or why wasn’t “someone else doing something”. She didn’t let popular wisdom stop her, that wisdom being that unseating an incumbent is nearly impossible, and unseating an incumbent of one’s own party was viewed as more than “nearly impossible”, it was viewed as an outright impossibility, and having never been done before there was good reason to so believe. And so Sara Palin became governor and set about cleaning up her own political party within her state.
It’s easy to sit around and do nothing more than bitch and moan about all that is wrong in whatever area happens to draws one’s attention, I do it nearly everyday regarding the threat of a future pandemic. On the other hand it’s often difficult to have to do something in public where any and all can watch you fail if fail is what you are expected to do and what you wind up doing.
As someone who has publicly challenged a few established experts I have a great deal of appreciation and admiration for this woman as I have come to know her over these couple of days. And although I had no intention of voting for “an old white guy” prior to Sarah Palin joining the ticket I will now.
I will cast my vote for the Republican candidate not because Sarah Palin is a woman but because she has an actual back bone supporting her spine. For Sarah Palin it’s not about what’s easy or expedient, it’s about doing what needs to be done, even if, or especially if, doing what needs to be done is cleaning up the mess of established and entrenched OWGs, and in Washington DC there is plenty of both… OWGs and their messes that is.
If I were a member of the establishment of Washington DC I would fear this woman Sarah Palin, but as I look into who she is I see nothing but things to rejoice about as a constituent of that self same establishment.
SZ
I come from a long line of strong women. You can’t imagine what the Native American matrons of my family have been through and worked through. Their expertise, ambition, and intelligence helped shape our family and our community. But if they would have run for say, state governor or senator I most certainly would not have voted for them.
From what’s been reported about Palin, I’d probably vote for her if I lived in Alaska. That’s because her expertise, ambition, and intelligence seems suited for the position she holds. But these important traits don’t automatically translate to every job that needs filling. And there’s little if any comparison to being the President of the United States and a governor of Alaska.
Probably at every time, but glaringly apparent today, we need someone who always has been and always will be working to protect the earth, strengthen the United States, and stand by the Constitution. Gender, party membership, race…these are now irrelevant.
She’s simply not qualified. A vote for McCain because of Palin, makes me question your logic. Or at least your motives.
As one who is more in the Republican camp due to the lack of a viable 3rd party candidate, my first reaction to the selection of Palin was “is this the best we can do?”
Even during the Democratic candidate campaign I was truly intrigued by the possibility of Hillary running or at the very least getting the VP nod due to the IMO needed change in political attitude it could of brought to the table. Plus, IMO Hillary has more “balls” and “bite” than both Obama and Biden combined.
Now with Palin in the arena, she brings her own position and convictions on abortion rights and drilling for oil that expand and strengthen McCain’s own stance on these two hugely important issues. The rest of the VP position and duties is IMO more Pomp and Circumstance as one previous Vice President John Nance Garner, who served as vice president from 1933 to 1941 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, famously remarked that the Vice Presidency wasn’t “worth a pitcher of warm piss.”
Unfortunately for us all, this election is shaping up to be more about age, gender and race than it is about their respective platforms. As I see it, it comes down to the question of which team will actually deliver on their promises for either “reform” or “change”
If Palin is guilty of using her influence to try and force a public servant to act in a way counter to his own judgement, she is of the same ilk as Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, those that fired US State Attorney’s and so on, and so on, throughout the current adminstration of corruption.
I’ll not vote for McCain, and it has nothing to do with Palin, and it has everything to do with Palin. Her vetting and choice reminds me of the Harriet Myers (sp?) incident.
‘Today, it seems that even ‘integrity’ is a free market commodity. When the demand for integrity is low, it can purchased at a much lower price than when the demand is high.’ – Snicklefritz
I was not enthralled with McCain, and do not consider Obama and Biden as worthy of their current office, let alone the west wing: they are just beltway hacks who would say anything to win. McCain is only marginally better, but Palin brings outsider temperament, and I think she is less motivated by politics. I applaud Mc Cains choice, and I can safely say that in conversation with my many many southern male counterparts, both educated and a little bit country they approve of her to a man. Any woman that can shoot and fish will always get a majority southern vote.
Heyya Snick.
Your comment does not surprise and I would have managed a close approximation of it had someone asked me what Snick would say. However, ah, isn’t there always a “however”, I do disagree with the sentiment(s) behind this statement:
Executives at all levels attempt to “influence” the actions of those who work for and under them all the time. It is one of the things intrinsic in the role of a leader (at whatever level). Even against what that employee/underling would hold as an independent judgement.
And since I do happen to hold you in such high regard and just generally luv ya I will simply say that I wouldn’t exactly agree with the sentiment behind the statement on Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby and leave it at that.
Remembering what we talked about the last time we had the opportunity to visit I just have to say that I find this election cycle to be the most exciting and potentially critical cross-roads this country has faced in my lifetime, and this country has faced any number of critical crossroads in those years.
Unlike most I’ve listened to or had the opportunity to read I feel that either party would be good for the country but for very different reasons. But Ms Palin add so much that goes beyond the “general good” and IMNSHO crosses right over into the “great” and the “stellar” arena as to infuse a hope the likes of which I have never, ever felt.
Ronald,
I can appreciate your comment re: Southern men since I live in the heart of the south. As someone who is an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment myself the “hunting and fishing” resonates with me as well, even though I do not personally hunt or fish.
Jay,
As usual, great comments and observations. I do not disagree with your words…
.
I learned a new word today: “Punditocracy”. I believe they [the Punditocracy] would LIKE us to believe the election is about race, age, or gender but it isn’t, not really, not for the voting public. And by “voting public” I mean those that actually cast a vote.
The independent voter pool grows with each election but those that vote strictly along party lines [on both sides] are still the vast majority. To those voters it wouldn’t matter if their candidate was an asexual purple Orkian [are you old enough to remember Mork from Ork?] they would *still* vote for their party’s candidate.