tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824628.post1954287200276961593..comments2023-03-17T07:59:48.258-04:00Comments on Liberal to Left Musings: Politics, Religion, Ethics, Justice, Humor: McCain's Machinations: His Palin ProblemKenneth Cauthenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01132467644375712235noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824628.post-6614138077811345792008-08-31T23:29:00.000-04:002008-08-31T23:29:00.000-04:00Ken makes some great points, but the larger contex...Ken makes some great points, but the larger context is missing—and he’s way too nice. John "still-wanna-be-called-a-maverick-despite-my-support-of-W" McCain wanted to shake things up with his VP pick, especially after the Dem’s A+ convention. Neither Mitt nor Tim could help him accomplish that, so he wanted, as Bill Kristol recommended last week, a “Joe of his own” (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/opinion/25kristol.html?scp=2&sq=kristol&st=cse). But alas, the weirdly sought-after Lieberman would not satisfy the Christian right and Republican conservatives, so that choice was doomed. <BR/><BR/>That left the desperate option—pick a woman, any woman. It is insulting to women of both parties to suggest that Sarah Palin is the most qualified Republican woman to be on the ticket with McCain. I personally have seen no analysis of why Republican women with real experience for national office were passed over (too old? don’t look good enough in fatigues? don’t hunt?). <BR/><BR/>This idea that there’s a cadre of women, insulted by the media’s treatment of Hillary Clinton, who are ready to totally ditch their interests and vote for McCain and his girl-VP is nothing more than media fiction. Oh, sure, the media can cough up a female person here and there to validate their story, but that doesn’t make them right (for an as-usual great critique of the media’s coverage of the campaign, see Frank Rich’s latest, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/opinion/31rich.html). Sheesh, how much history does it take to show that VP candidates do not make-or-break a ticket? <BR/><BR/>Nonetheless, given media fiction, it is imperative that Obama and Biden find women surrogates to take on Palin. Still, I have to disagree with Ken when he says he hopes Biden doesn’t use the obvious line: "Look, I know Hillary Clinton. She is a friend of mine, and Governor, you are no Hillary Clinton." I totally disagree. It’s time for Democrats to stop being wusses and to go for it—history is (now) on our side.Sammie Rae Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16095739763314982072noreply@blogger.com