Thanks, but no thanks.

At first, I was mildly intrigued.  But now that the initial cool-he-picked-a-woman glamor has worn off -- which lasted less than the length of her acceptance speech -- I can only conclude that Sarah Palin's presence on the Republican ticket reaffirms my vote for Joebama a thousand times over.  Not that I hadn't acquired a strong distaste for McCain's increasingly conservative, intellectually shallow politics.  Not that I hadn't gravitated to Obama's policy positions and call for change. 

But this irrevocably sealed the deal.

There are several reasons for this, none of which touch even remotely the instructive irony that this obdurate proponent of abstinence-only sex education (which categorically omits, and often purposefully misrepresents and undermines, safe sex education) has a 17-year-old daughter who, for one reason or another, got herself knocked up like countless other teenagers in this country who might have benefited from a crash course in condoms.  They are, in no particular order, as follows:

Somewhat out of step with his purported wealth of experience, wisdom, and sound, reasoned judgment, McCain made his selection on the basis of a single and brief encounter with Palin back in February.  How this impulsive (reckless?) choice, some six months later, reflects on his decision-making process smacks of the kind of judgment that has dominated the last eight years.

Heaven help us if he's elected and goes on to select a Supreme Court Justice with the same degree of care.

It's clear McCain thought this ultra-conservative Palin would shore up his support with the Republican base that has looked on his vacillating views with skepticism.  (I'll save the policy differences between Senator McCain and Candidate McCain for another time.)  It's also overwhelmingly clear that her ovaries were a substantial factor in the selection process, as they serve a dual purpose: to undercut the "historic" nature of a post-racial Democratic candidate, and to tempt disheartened Hillary supporters with a female VP.  Palin all but threw herself on that voting demographic during her acceptance speech.  McCain and his advisors must be startlingly out of touch if they actually believe any substantial number of Hillary's army will flock to such a conservative banner, given the vast differences in policy and substantive experience. 

This too, I think, reflects McCain's vision, his priorities, and his merits as a presidential candidate.  He has allowed his entire campaign to be dictated by a single-minded and overwhelming strategy: reacting to Obama.  This rings true all the way from stilted stump speeches to insubstantial ads (really think about those "celebrity" and "messiah" commercials) to his pick for vice president.  Rather than truly move ahead on his own platform, almost every move can be seen for what it is: a knee-jerk reaction to his opponent.  Knee-jerks sprinkled with the same tired (but, sadly, effective) smoke-and-mirrors tactics that kept our current fear-mongering president in office.

Rather than move forward with his own campaign -- rather than pick a qualified vice presidential candidate -- he reacted to certain factors in the Obama camp and let them control the decision.  Because you better believe that if Obama weren't black, if his campaign weren't so "historic," Palin would still be an obscure, gun-toting member of the NRA governing the tundra from Juneau, abusing her office in a family feud and trying to ban books without anyone the wiser.

Notwithstanding the fact that Obama has almost 12 years of experience in substantial and publicly-elected offices -- eight in the Illinois State Senate, and four in the U.S. Senate come January -- the theme that has dominated McCain's platform (indeed, at times, it appears to be his only message) is Obama's "inexperience."  Yet, when this 72-year-old cancer survivor is tasked with the critical decision to select a vice presidential candidate who is ready to assume command of the Free World at a moment's notice, he chooses Sarah Palin, 44, who has approximately 18 months of experience as the governor of a vast but geographically and politically detached state whose legislature -- the smallest in the country -- is only in session for 90 days a year.  Before that, she was a mayor.  And a city councilor.  Oh, and a hockey mom.  We are to believe that should count for something.

More importantly, Palin has an astonishingly (and, well, terrifying) conservative agenda.  She strongly opposes a woman's right to choose.  She opposes safe sex education, gun control, and stem cell research.  Not only does she oppose the rights of individuals to marry freely, she believes spousal benefits should be strictly limited to heterosexual couples.  She also seems to think there is no connection between pollution and global warming. 

She advocates the advancement of religious creationism in public schools, and supports opening up both the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and our national shores to feed profiteering oil companies and a doomed addiction to fossil fuels.  Her touted opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere" is somewhat undermined by the fact that she previously supported it.  And her idea of tax reform is cutting property taxes in one breath and raising sales tax in the next (nothing quite like sticking it to the working-class than a tax on food).

With respect to foreign policy and immigration, her views are conspicuously... silent.  Golly gee, I can't imagine why.

Frankly, this is the LAST person -- man, woman, Republican, Democrat, or otherwise -- that I would want waiting in the wings.  Eight of 43 presidents have kicked the bucket in office -- all, like Tupperware, the Hindenburg, and the Golden Gate Bridge, were younger than John McCain. And frankly, I'm just not willing to risk a Palin presidency.

(Incidentally, I'm not willing to risk a McCain presidency, either.)

Comments

[erika]

love your perspective. the smoke and mirrors are sooooo working on my family right now and i'm having a hard time not screaming in their faces. and i mean screaming like, "gjhioawiohaio!!!!!!" and flailing my arms. not coherent screaming.

[Laura]

Your Best Post Ever, and I mean it. It's getting emailed to my family. Hallelujah, son--keep on preaching!

[Kendra]

Loved the post. I could never have said it that well, so I'm hoping I can send this around instead.

[Mike D]

Tonight, we will come together as Americans and celebrate accidental teenage pregnancy.

If my underage daughter gets knocked up, trust me -- my reaction will not be to trot her out in front of a national convention and praise her for "embracing Life."

[sarah]

very well put!

i remember the bridge to nowhere, and as much as i disliked having to pay $5 for the ferry to get to the "mainland" of ketchikan, it is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a bridge.