Yesterday I mistakenly received yet another email from someone who thinks my email address belongs to a fellow Republican friend of his. I know this because the email used quotes from Barack Obama's books to "prove" his inability to lead America. And today I was asked about my feelings towards Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. So now I present to you my mini political rant.
What do I think of Sarah Palin? I think her nomination was a blatant, deliberate political ploy by John McCain to gain votes from (a) disillusioned Hillary Clinton supporters, and (b) any other woman stupid enough to vote for McCain/Palin simply because he named a woman as his VP. I realize that stupid is a harsh word, but I really do believe it applies here.
I am offended that McCain's advisors think that I will vote for him and Palin simply because she is a woman. Didn't the Fox News pundits blast the women who supported Hillary for that very same reason? I don't watch Fox News, but I would suspect that suddenly they're chastising me for being a woman AND anti-Palin. Now I'm a misogynist. Yeah, right.
Look, if you believe in what Palin has supported as governor of Alaska, and agree with McCain's views on the important issues, then by all means vote for them. But I don't. I do not support overturning Roe v. Wade. I also find it hypocritical that while Palin supports her daughter's "choice" to bear a child at 17, she would prohibit other 17-year-olds from even having a choice to make. I find it reprehensible that she supported $300 per person in earmarks, yet derided the bridge to nowhere when it became a national issue (and still kept the money - nice touch!).
(On a side rant, I also find it hypocritical for Bill O'Reilly to blast Jamie Lynn Spears and her parents regarding her pregnancy, yet claim that Sarah Palin is "just like us" when she discloses that her daughter, who is also 17, is pregnant.)
The other thing that offends my sensibilities are the arguments that have been made against Obama - that he is too inexperienced to lead this country, doesn't have foreign policy experience, was a (gasp!) community organizer. Take every single argument, tweak it slightly, and it applies equally to Sarah Palin. You'll hear the Republican talking heads rail against Obama, yet you won't hear them apply the exact same logic to Palin. Partisan? I'll say.
Well, that's enough of me getting my dander up. Feel free to disagree with me on my views. It's your right as an American. But personally I'm more than a little bit tired of the political pandering. From both sides. It makes it harder for people like me, who want to know where the candidates really stand on issues like healthcare, the economy, education, foreign policy (by which I mean relationships, not against whom we'll next wage war). I'm sure most people feel the same way.
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