politico

All right, all right. After enough questions and discussions on the topic came my way, the world apparently is chomping at the bit to see what I think of Sarah Palin. I had no idear that my political opinion was monitored like this, but since inquiring minds want to know, here is my take.

She does not represent me.

I found it an almost laughable move on the part of McCain to bring her on. Not because of her, but because it seemed to be a "hey-we-need-a-woman" desperation move on his part. I used to be a fan of his, but in the last few years, I am much less so. He has shifted himself way too far to the right for my comfort and I no longer feel like the "fighter" I once regarded him as, is the same guy. Now he just seems older, more bitter and he sounds an awful lot like our present commander in chief, whom I couldn't loathe any more.

But onto Palin. First, I must point out that although she hails herself as the savior of Alaska, I really don't know that I would put my weight behind a person governing a state whose entire population is roughly one fourth the population of the county in which I was raised. In the simple scale sense, she is way behind in experience. I don't care if she was PTA president, mayor and governor at the same time, it's a fishbowl she comes from, not even a pond.

That said, I have to give her that I like her scrappiness. She seems like a pretty grounded person and the fact that she was an athlete and continues to maintain an active lifestyle, makes her seem like someone I'd be interested in hanging out with. She also seems to have a pretty good sense of humor, which is something else I appreciate. That's about it though.

Just because she's a woman, does not mean she will automatically represent all women. She is a gun-toting, pro-life, religious conservative. And with pretty much any one of those on its own, she's completely lost me. There were also several things she said in her speech last night to which I took exception. Victory in sight in Iraq, eh? For whom?

I agree with her taking on big oil in her state, and I like her ideas on alternative fuels, for the most part. However, I don't at all agree that drilling for yet more oil - anywhere - is the cure for our energy ills. She blasted Obama for wanting to change our energy production and consumption processes by not wanting to drill, but her posse's proposal keeps us in bed with foreign suppliers and does little to stimulate the development of alternative fuels. She talked out of both sides of her mouth on the subject in the very same speech. How the republican contingent cannot see that the r&d involved with alternative sources of energy - not to mention the production and maintenance - can and will directly stimulate both our economy and environment, is just so beyond my comprehension. And while I think it's wonderful that she eschewed the private jet, I'm still not on board with the gubernatorial F350. All of that noted, energy and the environment are not, to me, political issues, but world issues, so I refuse to acknowledge a left-right scuffle here.

Although I applaud her for mothering what seem to be decent people, with a 4 month old, special needs child, shouldn't she be home caring for him? If you've got kids who can walk and talk on their own, well then go on with yer bad self. But with an infant? It seems a bit irresponsible and arrogant to be attempting her historic feat, cracked ceiling or no. The pregnant daughter I can overlook, simply because this is the world in which we live and I give Palin the benefit of the doubt in having at least attempted to steer her daughter away from that activity at her young age. But ah the lessons we learn when even a super-righty has a kid that gets knocked up. Harder to cast aspersions at Al Gore, Jr. and his pot smoking now, isn't it? At least he drives a Prius. We're all in it together, lady.

Perhaps however, this will be a golden opportunity for the GOP to take a look at the benefits of sex education and teaching something other than abstinence. Clearly, the kids are fornicating anyway - whether or not their parents occupy a public office - so why not let dear Bristol and Levi be the poster children of that reform? They could even hand out condoms with little elephants on them. So cute. Does god shun republicans when they get knocked up or is that kind of disdain reserved for the commie liberal?

It seems that Sarah Palin was quite comfortable in Alaska, to live her life and not worry about the various mishaps that are already beginning to pepper the news and bare the lives of her family. I'm pretty sure when all is said and done, she's gonna wish she had, too.

Long story long, I think she'll go far as the "whippersnapper" to McCain's sour old man gig, but i have to say, the right scooting ever further in that direction not only frightens me, but disappoints me as well. I'll go over the two separate classes I have for conservatives a bit later, but let me just say that those red-staters must be frothing at the mouth at this point, cuz she's hot too, man. Scary stuff.