Just as I did with Joe Biden, the point of this exercise is not to argue whether or not Palin is good for McCain to win the election, but rather is she a good choice for us/US.
Good thing... She’s a woman. Sorry, this does matter. It will be the first woman vice president in United States history. The fact that either side winning will be an momentous historic event is a great thing.
Bad thing... the Economy.
1) Tax and Spend: Check
Alaska, No 1 in taxes per resident and No 1 in spending per resident. Remember kids - being a hypocrite doesn't mean you're wrong.
2) Doesn’t get the current crisis: Check
Thought Frannie Mae and Freedy Mac were a drain on taxpayers money before the government stepped in. In other words, privately owned business was a non existent drain on tax payers before, so the current Republicans shouldn’t step in now when it actually will cost taxpayers money?
3) B.S. on past Finicial Dealings: Check
a) Ebay plane was not sold on ebay, and ended up losing money on the deal when it finally was sold. (Not surprised McCain got this one wrong since I doubt he could spell ebay let alone know what it is.)
b) Her comments on the Bridge to Nowhere, despite media and bloggers saying otherwise, was dead on. She did say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” She said “Thanks” and took the money to build it. Then when the pressure was on about it being a colossal waste of money she said “No Thanks” and then KEPT THE MONEY!!!
c) She took a $60 dollar a day per diem (supposed to be used for staying overnight at hotels when traveling) for 312 days she spent at home. Ahh, to make $60 a night off of the taxpayers to sit around and worry about the end times...
d) Doesn’t get how oil that comes from the ground gets to your car. Opening up areas in Alaska and off shore drilling will not help the current gas situation for at least a decade and it’s likely it won’t even help then. You don’t just dill in a post attach a hose and pull up your car. Paris Hilton is wrong - don’t follow her advice.
Good thing... Ties to the Alaskan Independence Movement. A group of people who want to vote on whether or not the state of Alaska should secede from the USA. Don’t worry, they make too much money off of the rest of us to leave. Still, me as a 17 year old would have thought that was pretty cool, and I guess I still do.
Bad Thing... Religious Fundamentalist. Anyone who thinks we are living in “end times” (the view that the apocalypse is imminent and all good Christians of the very specific and narrow correct kind will ascend to heaven while everyone else will be screwed) and is a) sincere in this belief and b) happy about it should not be running for political office. The point of such positions as President and Vice President is to lead the country towards a better future than the past. But if you sincerely believe that the future is going to be coming to an end very soon then you don’t really have that motivation, do you? So the best thing to do is to make the few remaining days you have on this earth pleasant for you and your buddies before thing get really awesome for you and your buddies. And those others, heck, their lives right now will seem like a dream compared to what’s in store for them. Moral of the rant: Don’t elect any religious fundamentalist who thinks the end of the world in Thursday. And don’t forget that these two will be picking Supreme Court justices. Goodbye freedom and choice, hello social conservatism and state-sponsered religion. Frankly, this should be enough to make Libertarians take another look at Obama (though they still shouldn’t vote for him).
Good Thing... Outed corrupt politicians who were members of her own party. She basically got Randy Ruedrich and Gregg Renkes to resign for conflicts of interests after she resigned her post as Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in protest.
Bad Thing... It’s clear she doesn’t know anything necessary about being VP because the Republicans have taken her and hidden her away to prep her before she has any real interactions with the press or with Biden at a debate. The Republicans are trying to sway this into an anti-media hoedown, saying that she will when the campaign feels she will be treated with dignity and respect. Just like the speech she gave at the RNC (written well before they knew who the VP choice would be), she won’t speak until she has all of the lines memorized and the campaign is certain a reporter won’t ask anything that will throw her off the script.
And the winner is.... Bad Thing. Really, really, really bad thing. Seriously, did you look at the superficial garbage that makes up anything on the good list. Sure, they are good - I didn’t write things there that I didn’t think were actually good points, but jeesh. There are two main areas to asses a political candidate: their social policies and their economic policies. She fails, spectacularly, at both. Some of the other positives that are running out of the mouths of Republican pundits like pus from the drain hole from my dog’s operation (don’t worry he’s on antibiotics) are: 1) She has executive experience. Yeah, as Mayor of a town 7000 and as Governor of a state with 670,000 (for only 20 months) that is about as much experience managing people as I have running the high school marching band. 2) She’s had international experience in fending off the unwanted advances of Russia. Anyone who seriously thinks she has had any real dealings with Russia is a political hack. 3) She was in charge of Alaska’s national guard so she has military experience. The one does not lead necessarily to the other. She is in charge of Alaska’s national guard for state issues, but not in charge of them for national issues. She doesn’t really get to decide anything of importance about them except in how to get them to clean the local memorial statues. She is a terrible, terrible choice.
The Rational Moderate
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