Posted on 09/12/2008 1:30:58 PM PDT by missanne
This was supposed to be the year that a woman achieved the White House. Problem is, we've got the wrong woman. It was supposed to be the year for a woman of the caliber of Hillary Clinton, tested in the halls of learning, of law, in 12 years in the governor's mansion, in two terms as First Lady, in the policy trenches, in politics, in the media, in the Senate, in foreign affairs and in numerous presidential debates. She's been tested, tested and tested again.
I desperately wanted a woman for president, but not the untested former small-town mayor and beauty pageant princess, Sarah Palin, who got her first passport in 2007, has spent two years as Alaska's governor and was mayor of a town of 7, 025. As I watched Palin at the Republican National Convention describe that big old untraveled world out there as "dangerous," I was left with one feeling: fear. Oh my God, she sounds like a teenager. She's too politically immature, too unschooled, too lacking in depth. I wanted to give her an iPod, not the keys to the White House.
At a time when we need foreign affairs experience the most, we've got a woman who seems more like a neophyte beauty queen ready to answer what she would do about world peace than a serious candidate for vice president, or, God forbid, president if the 72-year-old McCain, who's had two bouts with cancer and almost six years of torture as a POW, dies in office.
There are so many other concerns about the barely vetted Palin that I hardly know where to start. Let's begin with her ethical problems and misrepresentation of herself as a reformer and outsider.
While she claims to have championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress, as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she hired a lobbyist to annually make the case in Washington to support earmarks to the town totaling $ 27 million. And in her two years as governor of Alaska she has requested nearly $ 750 million in special federal spending (the largest per-capita request in the nation ), according to The Associated Press. While she says she rejected plans for the so-called "bridge to nowhere," she did so only after the plan was ridiculed as such.
McCain's ridiculous claim that Palin has been in charge because she has primary responsibility for national security as commander of her state's National Guard misses the point that governors lose charge of their units to the Defense Department once those units are called to military service.
The "ever-so-thrifty"Palin is also relying upon $ 95, 000 in state taxpayer money to defend herself against attacks that she fired her public safety commissioner because he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced her sister. They're calling it "Troopergate. "And that governor's jet she put on eBay ? The state had to pull it off and sell it at a $ 600, 000 loss to a brokerage firm.
And let's look at her "family values"record and right-wing credentials. For me they don't come close to making up for her lack of foreign policy experience, but apparently they do for social conservatives who seem only to care that she's anti-abortion and pro-guns.
For this crowd, it matters little whether an asteroid is ready to strike the Earth. As long as Palin is an "avid hunter and fisher, " and even better," shoots machine guns," she passes muster for the chairman of the state highway commission from Siloam Springs and delegate to the Republican convention. In fact, as far as social conservatives are concerned, it doesn't matter if the war in Iraq becomes the war in Iran as long as Palin meets their family values criteria. For these folks, being smitten by Palin is apparently reason enough to vote for McCain for president, even though they don't like him.
The family-values crowd may be comforted by reports that Palin apparently follows the same messianic philosophy as George W. Bush, but that's what got us into trouble in the first place. She was online (her church has pulled the video ) telling ministry students at the Wasilla Assembly of God that the United States sent troops to fight in Iraq on a "task that is from God," according to The Associated Press. During an address last June, she urged ministry students to pray for a plan to build a $ 30 billion natural gas pipeline in Alaska because it was "God's will."
To such remarks as this, Rob Boston, a spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said," I miss the days when pastors delivered sermons and politicians delivered political speeches... The United States is increasingly diverse religiously. The job of a president is to unify all those different people and bring them together around policy goals, not to act as a kind of national pastor and bring people to God."
Palin's inexperience impales McCain's presidential aspirations. She needs to spend at least enough time outside this country to get college credit for a semester abroad before vying for such a high-stakes position. Bottom line is, just four in 10 Americans think she has enough experience to be president, according to a Sept. 4 ABC News poll.
I'll say one thing for McCain. He likes them significantly younger and beautiful (first wife Carol Shepp, famous swimwear model, whom he divorced for Junior Rodeo Queen of Arizona, Cindy Hensley, after Shepp underwent at least 12 surgeries following a car accident ). Now comes Palin, the potential future president of our country, former Princess of the Fur Rendezvous, Miss Wasilla and runner-up for Miss Alaska.
For the sake of the nation, let's pray fervently she's also the runner-up in this presidential contest. --30-- Barbara Warner is a former congressional press secretary and White House appointee at the U. S. Commerce Department. She lives in Siloam Springs and writes a monthly column for the Benton County Daily Record.
Twelve years married to a corrupt governor and 8 years married to a corrupt President doesn't qualify you to run the country, baby.
They Just. Can’t. Help it.
Sure she didn't mean "interrogated"?
***The level of yellow journalism down to the local level is staggering! This twaddle was in our local paper in Fayetteville, AR ***
I just read the same article in the same newspaper a little while ago. Those “people” are desparate to paint Palin with a dirty brush of their own making!
But then, there are a bunch of wackos tha hang around the U of A. and get paid for this sort of thing.
I noticed that in the letters to the editor in the Ark-Dem-Gaz that the usual DEM mud slingers have received their talking point instructions for the week.
“of the caliber of Hillary Clinton”
You mean with thighs and legs like an elephant and a butt the size of North Dakota?
“The caliber of Hillary Clinton”,....ROFLMAO
Hillary is about a .22. Is there anything smaller?
So this “reporter” is telling us that she would have prefered a former governor’s wife and former first lady to a real mayor and a real governor? Donate soon to your local chapter of “Shovels for the Left”!
“of the caliber of Hillary Clinton”
You mean with thighs and legs like an elephant and a butt the size of North Dakota?
“The caliber of Hillary Clinton”,....ROFLMAO
Hillary is about a .22. Is there anything smaller?
I love the story of David and Goliath.
A young shepherd whose only experience was guarding his flock against predatory wolves and lions. And praying.
He refused traditional armor, so sure of his own steady aim.
Sarah has the same spirit. She knows her Source.
She’s been tested, tested and tested again
_________________________
Tested as the Stepford wife of a womanizer. Other than run for Senator in NY what has she ever done on her own?
Never had to make decisions affecting real people.
Never managed a budget.
Never was executive of anything.
Hillary lost to His Obamaness because she is less experienced even than the empty suit.
She has done nothing other than blow her own horn for the last 20 years.
Pure drivel. If that’s the best that ol’gal can come up with she’s not worth being employed at a newspaper.
**Did you ever find those Rose Law Firm files ***
I believe some were found in the trunk of a junked car along with an uncashed check to ...U NO WHO!
But, that’s ancient history.
“Fayetteville is a college town and so the local rag sucks up to the metrosexuals.”
Exactly, anyway why is she whining at us since she’s obviously a dem. It was her party that dissed Hillary.
Very well said.
Definitely was thinking that ~ the Hildabeast has been tested repeatedly and keeps coming up with the same result ~ FAIL!!!!
Just emailed the NWArkTimes:
So, I suppose you’re going to tell us you found the extra records from the Rose Law firm, Barb? It’s not only men who are misogynistic these days. You can find plenty of leftist women who’ll fill the bill (sarc on). But, only, of course if the woman to be attacked happens to stray off the reservation and stand on her own as a conservative. Way to shine for the sisterhood, Barbie.
And for an added bit of excitement I just got banned at DailyKossucks. This day gets better as it goes on.
And the democratic party that this AR-Kansas rag and Hillary supported kicked her and those that voted for her to the curb ......yet these “smart voters & presstitutes” are to stupid to know it !
LMAO !......Keep sending yer dollars to the Socialist DNC ya bunch of RAT twits ! They make promises and break em as soon as your check clears........DUmmies !
Wow for those of you married to doctors, you are now qualified to be one yourself. Hillary is presidential from living in the Arkansas governor’s mansion and WH. This opens up so much for us ladies!
This is a great commentary to send to your female friends.
Some of them might forward it to their Democrat female friends.
Democrat women should be embarrassed by these comments.
****Barbara Warner is a former congressional press secretary and White House appointee at the U. S. Commerce Department. She lives in Siloam Springs and writes a monthly column for The Benton County Daily Record. ***
WHAT! I just got back from Siloam! I need a shower fast!
if Hillary was tested and tested then why didn’t Obama pick her as VP???
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