Why I Don't Want Sarah Palin in the Vice-Presidency

Perhaps the best way for me to sum up my discussions concerning Sarah Palin would be this. I happen to be a member of the Democratic party and an Obama supporter. There are a number of reasons that I have for this: I am skeptical of trickle-down economics, as important as private compassion is I think it needs to not stop when we get to the halls of government, I believe that invasions of foreign countries require justification we did not come anywhere near to meeting in our war with Iraq (though we did, I think, meet it in Afghanistan), I do think we should move away from fossil fuels sooner rather than later. I suspect that the mainstream Republican understanding of conservatism is to give large corporations and their CEOs whatever they want, which is hardly conservatism. On cultural issues I'm no fan of abortion but recognize some complexities in the issue and have some doubts about bringing the long arm of the law down on it. Though I think if I had a magic wand and could make Roe v. Wade go away I would wave it. I find the increased concentration of governmental power in the hands of the executive branch in response to an "emergency" created by 9/11 (the so-called "unitary executive) extremely troubling and the use of waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques which I would call torture to be unconscionable. I believe in the separation of church and state, though some hyper-sensitive ways of applying that separation are, in my mind silly. But I don't want a great battle for a Christian America that never existed. I also find the fiscal irresponsibility of the Bush Administration unacceptable.

Overall, I'm just more comfortable in the Democratic party than in the Republican. But suppse I were a Republican, and perhaps one that fervently desired and expected that Roe v. Wade be overturned. Would I be happy with the Palin pick. Many people think she is the greatest thing since Ronald Reagan.

The answer is, that were I a Republican I would be troubled for my own party. First, apparently party leaders are not leaving the vice-Presidential choice to the nominee, they are telling him that he may not nominate certain people like Lieberman or Ridge. Second, we are told that this person has been thoroughly "vetted" but we have no idea what that "vetting" amounts to. Palin is unknown to most Americans and they would like to know what she is like. She makes good emotional connections with people, but so far there are serious problems with her background, she gives scripted responses to questions on issues, she is under investigation for misconduct as a governor, and makes dishonest statements about her record. Even if this pick proves effective for the campaign, it could prove disastrous for governance, especially if she has to supplant the elderly McCain in the highest office of the land.