Picking Palin

So John McCain has picked Sarah Palin as his running mate - the first woman ever to to serve on a Republican presidential ticket. I had never heard of the glamorous Alaskan Governor, indeed, I thought it was going to be Mitt Romney who McCain would choose to partner with.

When I first heard of her appointment I was pleasantly surprised. I was pleased that a woman had finally got into the running for a senior position in the White House. Maybe just maybe she could soften the Republican party's warmongering, prejudiced, parochial image that has been etched into our minds by Bush's behaviour over the last 2 Presidential terms. It seemed at first glance a smart move on McCain's part, bringing in the women's vote and adding a little youth and glamour to his campaign.

Look a little further under the surface and you see a bigoted, hard-talking, ruthless politician: She is Pro-Life and Pro-Gun (ironic huh?), anti-Gay marriage and fiercely Pro the death penalty (even more ironic huh?). Don't be fooled by the ex-beauty queen, sports star, mother-of-five image - she is as tough as nails and every bit as true to the Republican image we have come to know and loathe.

Comments

[ed]

As a Republican, I am terribly dissapointed with this selection as well.

If America can get over its antiquated (and racist) views towards African Americans, then Obama should now be the next president of the US.

That said, I would peak a little bit more under this VP candidate's covers. Yes, she is a true conservative in every way. But, that's just it...she's what a conservative should be and is trying to reform the party.

Btw, I am not a conservative and don't share her views. But, she is anti-gay marriage, yet she believes in benefits for committed same sex partners. Unlike her completely closed minded peers, she sees the reality of life and believes that humans (of all sexual preferecnes, race, sex, etc.) need to be treated with respect.

This is but one example (above). But, she does come with a new package of reform for those nasty conservative who those outside America have gotten a bad taste of over the last 8 years.

[Jacki Vause]

Accepted that she is trying to reform the party but I still balk at the thought of a woman who is anti-abortion in any circumstances including rape and incest...do you not think that is pretty close minded?

On reading more about this over the weekend I think John McCain has scored an own goal with this selection. He introduced her with such glowing terms and yet I read he has only ever met her once before. And, as a colleague pointed out, he couldn't have chosen a better person to make him look even more old and out of touch than he already did.