Sarah Palin Needs to Do More with What She’s Got

The McCain campaign had better pay attention to what she says without a prompter or she’ll become just another ordinary number two, one that doesn’t lift the ticket and doesn’t boost him to the brass ring on election day.If she doesn’t pack some substance based on experience she must surely have, she’ll fade out like a shooting star....

Well, I’ll grant you that your excerpting got to the most contentious point in the article. But rather than worry about Palin, I think McCain better worry about himself and how he handles some of the challenging issues of the day.

Just let Palin be Palin. Even if this Pajamas Media guy thinks she “blew an opportunity” answering a town-hall question, that’s not the end of the world. And I don’t think we have to worry about her becoming a Dan Quayle — she’s got too much moxie and commonsense... and experience. She IS a governor and has been for almost 2 years. And before that a Mayor of a small town... and the Chairperson of an important Gas and Energy Commission. So she knows how to be an executive, how to surround herself with good people and how to make decisions. Her instincts are terrific.

Although I shouldn’t question McCain’s motives, but I suspect he’s willing to let this Presidential Debate get postponed so that the interest and attention on the VP Debate will be even greater — it may be the first of the season now. And I expect Sarah to knock it out of the park. I hope that debate isn’t up against the Cubs in the post-season... otherwise I’m expecting mega ratings.

An op-ed I wrote on her executive experience:

Has anyone else noticed how we have crept toward the creation of a ruling class? Expectations are that people who are eligible to hold national political office are: (1) either wealthy and/or have attended an ivy league university; (2) have established connections with either a regional political machine or powerful east coast families; and (3) are at least attorneys who toe the party line.

We weren’t always that way. Back in the early 1800s when the United States of America was a young country full of energy and enthusiasm, a Frenchman by the name of Alexis de Tocqueville traveled around the new United States recording his observations in a book called Democracy in America. He wrote:

“…the political activity that pervades the United States must be seen in order to be understood. No sooner do you set foot upon American ground than you are stunned by a kind of tumult; a confused clamor is heard on every side, and a thousand simultaneous voices demand the satisfaction of their social wants. Everything is in motion around you; here the people of one quarter of a town are met to decide upon the building of a church; there the election of a representative is going on; a little farther, the delegates of a district are hastening to the town in order to consult upon some local improvements; in another place, the laborers of a village quit their plows to deliberate upon the project of a road or a public school…”

Our American tradition is an active civic life. Everyday people get involved at the level of a town project, a district board or the PTA because they want to influence decisions that will affect them, their children and their families. They want to make sure a project gets done or is sent back to the drawing board. They want to make sure their money is not wasted. If they are reasoned and passionate advocates, they may find themselves speaking on behalf of others. They may heed a calling to represent others by serving in public office and making local public policy on a city council.

Their public service might lead them to run for an Executive office, like city Mayor. As Mayor, they are accountable for implementing the public policy and ordinances passed by the representatives on the City Council. In addition, Mayors are responsible for making sure that personnel and monetary resources approved in the budget actually result in everyday services to the public. Did the roads get surfaced and plowed? Did the sewer plant operate? Did clean water come out of the kitchen tap? Did the buses run on time?

On the State level, the Governor heads the Executive Branch and is the spokesperson before the media, state, national and international audiences on State issues and positions. He/she implements the laws passed by the legislature within an established budget and may give internal direction to State departments on how that is to be done. The Governor has the power of veto over laws passed by the legislature. The Governor is responsible for the programs that implement laws made by the State legislature. He/she appoints people to head various departments and agencies, and to serve on various state boards, commissions and councils. The Governor is Commander-In-Chief of the State National Guard and deploys them in times of emergencies. The Governor may also show leadership in focusing attention on policies and goals he or she feels is important. State policy issues are much larger in scope than local, including: the economy; the environment and natural resources; social welfare; public health; education; prisons; agriculture; the arts; tourism; fire suppression; recreation; consumer affairs; energy; transportation; mining; and veterans affairs.

I am very impressed that we have a candidate for Vice-President in Sarah Palin who has on-the-ground experience on so many levels in handling Executive responsibility and in being accountable to the people. Governor Palin’s roots run deep in the American tradition of civic involvement and leadership. She has never lost touch with the everyday people she serves, because she is home grown and truly one of our own.

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