Sarah?

John McCain’s announcement that he had selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate struck the liberal left like the proverbial “bolt-from-the-blue”, and apparently rattled more than a few cages among the republican senior leadership as well. The national media is in a near frenzy with their “smear the republican lady” campaign, the democrats are almost hysterical in their attempts to demonize her, and the hardcore republican leadership is still weeping and wailing about their favorite son, Mitt Romney, being passed over. In the meantime the rank and file republicans along with a good many independents are sitting back enjoying the show and wishing Miz Palin well. Personally I’ve about reached the hysterical stage myself, laughing hysterically that is, at all the charges and countercharges that make up this typically American political circus… err… “campaign” that is, and I too wish her well.

There are a good many unproved accusations being passed around about Sen. Obama’s religion and supposed connections to Chicago’s “corrupt political machine” that rightly or wrongly I consider little more than mudslinging by the radical right, and ignore completely. Joe Biden seems to be a fairly safe Veep candidate for the democrats as there is surprisingly little being said about him from either side of the aisle. John McCain is quite well detested by the far left, and is constantly under attack by the media and the massed Obama supporters. Now, enter Sarah Palin, a political unknown with a quite interesting background.

The difference between John McCain and his running mate is vast. Age of course, as she’s nearly 30 years younger than McCain. She’s the first woman ever to be on a Republican presidential ticket. She’s been governor of Alaska for less than two years, while he’s served in the US Congress for 25 years. In comparison, Obama has been a congressman for only a short time, with his running mate Joe Biden having forty years of congressional experience, which means he’s experienced in working with Washington insiders, and I’d guess he has a lot of political debts to pay off. (Don’t look for much “change” other than in a cosmetic sense, from the Biden camp). The republicans claim that Obama has little or no foreign policy experience, to which the democrats claim Biden’s experience will make up for the perceived shortcoming. Now the democrats are railing about the republican vice presidential candidates lack of experience, and completely ignoring McCain’s years on the fast track! Nobody seems to remember that the Vice President is pretty much a figurehead position that that does little more than referee the Senate fights, whom we keep handy “just in case”.

McCain is classed as a “maverick” by many, and “more of the same” by the Democrats, mostly because he doesn’t subscribe to their peculiar ideas of how to run things. Personally, like every previous president, I suspect he’ll do “his own thing” no matter what the democrats claim. One of the big bug-a-boos I constantly see mentioned in the media is McCain’s age, a whole seventy-two years old. Well, that may have been doddering old age a hundred years ago, but nowdays seventy-two isn’t at all that old! Another reference to McCain’s age is that “Palin is only a heartbeat away from being president!” Really, so is Biden, but medical science and the Secret Service seem to be pretty good at preventing bad things from happening to a sitting president. The “age” part I’d say we can write-off.

As an old “cold-warrior” and Vietnam vet, I got just a bit upset when the left leaning media came up with comments about Obama not having all the “Cold War and Vietnam era baggage” to haul along. First off, whoever wins the election had better not forget the cold war or Vietnam, as that’s what set the stage for the international problems we see today! It’s not just George Bush’s doings either but dates back to the days of FDR, Harry Truman, and particularly Lyndon Johnson! Nor is it just a US problem, as you might have noticed that Vladimir Putin seems to be leading Russia into a return to the “bad old days”, while several other countries, including China and North Korea never really left those days.

Many pundits stress the fact that no Alaskan has ever appeared on a national ticket, as if an Alaskan, or any ruralite for that matter, is incapable of handling important matters. (Maybe they’ve got a point there, how many of us rural folks hold a PhD. in socialism from an eastern Ivy League college?) What’s even worse in their view is that Palin is an unknown factor to Washington political insiders, and to the national news media. After all, they didn’t “make” her career, and they don’t control her. That may be two strikes against her in their view, but it’s a definite plus in my book! For one thing, she’s a country girl, or at least a small town girl with small town values, and who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She’s tough, smart, competent, credible, and confident enough to fight even the entrenched politicians of her own party. This mother of five was tired of seeing government running amuck, stepped into public service to reform it… and she’s got a record of doing just that. She’s spent her time as governor cutting taxes and government waste, reducing big government, establishing ethics committees, pursuing alternative energy, and in being pro-family and pro-life. It would seem that far-left liberals don't know how to react to a strong, conservative, female politician. They worship Hillary but seem terrified of Sarah! She’s also inspired a Web site www.PalinFacts.com, which gives some humorous, tongue-in-cheek, yet complimentary comments about Sarah Palin's life, character, and career. A few of my favorites include;

In 2003, the US considered deploying Sarah Palin to Iraq as a 1-woman commando squad, but wanted to make it a fair fight.

As head of Alaska’s Nat’l Guard, Sarah Palin taught troops in a training exercise how to scare a hand grenade into not exploding.

Sarah Palin loves opening up a can of whup-ass.

When Sarah Palin booked a flight to Europe, the French immediately surrendered.

Sarah’s a very interesting lady, and very much the breath of fresh air so desperately needed in Washington today. She also a break with current Republican spending habits, and the ongoing political insider culture. In his introduction of Palin, Sen. McCain portrayed her as a political maverick, and an ordinary mother who understands the struggles of other parents, who knows the problems, the hopes, and the values of working people, knows what it's like to worry about mortgage payments and health care, along with the unending cost of gasoline and groceries.
Dunno about anyone else, but she sounds like my kinda gal!