Y'know ...

[unixronin]

... I still say that both of our Presidential candidates suck.  (And that's in the "wet farts out of dead pigeons" way, not the good way.)

But I gotta admit, after today's perhaps-surprising news, I think our Vice-Presidential choices — or the Republican one, at least — just got a whole lot better.  Sarah Palin appears to be sane, honest, and fiscally responsible, and she's not afraid to out corrupt members of her own party.  She cleaned house in the Alaska state legislature.  Further, it looks as though she stands by her principles, but is willing to calmly accept being overruled or proven wrong, and she's not afraid to publicly change her mind.¹  Her approval ratings in Alaska are frequently in the 90s.  When she ran for Mayor of Wasilla in 1996, she made a campaign promise to cut her own salary — and kept it.  Then when she ran for Governor of Alaska in 2006, she made a campaign promise to sell the IAI Westwind II executive jet purchased (on state government credit) by the Murkowski administration ... and kept that promise, too.

I mean, DAMN!  Can't we, you know, swap the ticket around and make McCain VP?  C'mon, folks, our first female President doesn't HAVE to be a Democrat.

[1]  "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.  With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.  He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall.  Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day." — Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841

Comments

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

Crunch can go to school right now because I have chosen, for my own reasons, to spend my full time efforts to make it possible.

Bob Dole used to take almost two hours to get dressed in the morning. Sure, it cut into his sleep, but I have not heard him criticized for not spending enough time doing his elected job. (For his values in that job, sure.) Like writing a physics paper, it takes the time it takes, and you need to get other things done. Call it a personal failing, but I just can't buy that spending time on yourself means that you can't learn something else well.

I also think that practice makes that kind of look much faster to achieve.

I find it vaguely disquieting that her "traditional values" (whatever that means) are used as an excuse to discount her contributions, or ability to serve in office. I would counter that "traditional values" to me implies the integrity that she will devote the time she needs to do the job she says she can do.

My ballet instructor took five days off to have her sixth child. Perhaps not quite the same situation, she owned a business.

Like I said, I have not made up my mind on Palin. I want to hear more objective reporting on what she actually accomplished as Mayor, and then as Governor. The raw facts, and her popularity, that I have heard so far speak well of her ability to lead and be effective. Even the detracting sources tend to agree in the basic facts. I want more context. I generally do not follow Alaska politics.

The real issue in the race for president, is who is running for the strangely shaped office. The VP stuff is just a sideshow. I think McCain is at a disadvantage. Every time he opens his mouth or appears on TV, increases his disadvantage. Definitely not the Republicans finest hour.