My Second-To-Last Post on Sarah Palin

Actually, with any luck, this will be my last post; but in case something comes up, I'm leaving the option open.

On with the post:

The Ten Things I'm gonna say about Palin.

1.
I really don't care that her daughter got knocked up by her teenage high-school-dropout boyfriend. It has nothing to do with Governor Palin's qualifications (or lack thereof) for the office of Vice President. Do I believe that a parent who did not instruct their child on the proper us of prophylactics is neglectful in this day and age? Yes, I do. But since we are not electing her as "Mom of the Year," it is not relevant.

2.
I don't even care that Palin may have been knocked up herself when she married her high school sweetie, for the same reason as above. Would it be hypocritical to espouse no sex outside of the sanctimony of marriage if you had done exactly that in your own life? Yes. Do I care in the context of this election? No.

3.
Stop describing Palin as a "former beauty queen." She didn't win any contest that any normal person ("people not related to her") gives a shit about. Lots of women have won pissant beauty contests; unless your pageant was on National Television and led to a Playboy spread, no on cares. Besides, it comes back to having NOTHING to do with qualifying her for the vice-presidency of the world's last remaining superpower.

4.
While it is technically true that she has more "executive experience" than Obama Barack, she does not have more than any of the millions of Americans who have managed a store or business. Office building hold more people than live in Wasilla, Alaska. So do most shopping malls. While I'm sure it's a nice place to live if you like places that make Mayberry look positively cosmopolitan in comparison, it's a VERY small town.

And despite the nonsense dribbling out of Karl Rove's mouth, it's not the second largest city. Anchorage is the largest, 278,700 people. Fairbanks is the next largest at 31,342, followed by the State Capital of Juneau with 30, 737 .

5.
She has barely been Governor long enough to have explored the full ramifications of that position. Infact, the first year would have been spent administering all the programs and budgets set in place by the PREVIOUS administration.

6.
By continually referring to her as "Commander and Chief of the Alaskan National Guard," the GOP is making it very obvious to everyone that she is so lacking in any real experience that they have to pad out her pathetically thin resumé to give her even a hint of legitimacy.

US Senator Bob Graham, a former governer of my state, has run for Senate AND made stab at the Democratic nomination for President in the 2004 race, and do you know what phrase was never, ever used by Graham or his campaign? It was "as Governor, Bob Graham served as Commander and Chief of the Florida National Guard." Why? Because it's an incredibly pretentious thing to brag about.

7.
If you are going to take the extremely lame approach of describing Palin as "Commander and Chief of the Alaskan National Guard," you'd better have a list of all the times she's had to deploy them in response to an emergency. (For the record, that would be NEVER. Palin has NEVER ordered her National Guard to do anything, ever. Not even to supply an honor guard.)

8.
Speaking of the National Guard, I'm reminded that not only was George W. Bush "Commander and Chief" of the Texas National Guard, but he actually SERVED in the National Guard instead of going to Viet Nam to fight for his country. Actually, I should say "he served, on those occasions he bothered to actually show up." (This has nothing to do with Palin, but by boasting about the Guard, it brings this to mind. And does the McCain campaign really want another reason for the public to think about Lil' Bush in relation to the McCain campaign?)

9.
The last time anyone cared about whether or not a candidate for national office hunted was Theodore Roosevelt. While I suppose it's nice and all that she happily guns down Bullwinkle on weekends so she can chow down on moose burgers during the week, no one is looking for a new meat supplier for the White House Kitchen. By the way, even Teddy become disgusted with the GOP, and formed his own party: the Bull Moose Party.

10.

The Sexism Card is out of the game; it's out of play. You took it out of the game yourself back in March when you inexplicably made the short list of VP candidates.

"When I hear a statement like that, coming from a woman candidate, with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, 'man, that doesn't do us any good.' ...I mean, work harder, prove yourself to an even greater degree that you're capable, that you're gonna be the best candidate.."

So no more complaints about sexism will be accepted from Palin, McCain, or the GOP brown shirts campaign staff.