Six weeks ago when my sister asked me who I wanted McCain to select for VP, I said Sarah Palin. I then quickly added, “But it’s never going to happen.”
Then it happened. And whoa, talk about pulling off a stunner.
I like Sarah Palin, and have ever since she defeated that p.o.s Murkowski in 2006 and rescinded the dozens of political appointments he shelled out to his cronies in the last hours of his administration. She was proof that the voters of Alaska were capable of making good decisions. I mean these are the people who keep Don Young and Ted Stevens around despite their numerous infractions against common decency.
In many ways, Sarah Palin is my Mr. Smith goes to Washington.
I love that she is exuberant about politics. That she ran for office to change her own hometown and then moved on to change her home state. And wasn’t the obvious choice for Vice President.
It will also be nice to have someone in office who understands rural communities. Because there seems to be this idea that all small towns are Mayberry, and that only big cities have problems that need to be fixed. I can’t think of a national candidate, in recent memory, who would have a better understanding of the issues affecting Montanans at the grassroots level.
Palin is a reformer who isn’t afraid to clean her own house. Her recent scandal gave me pause until I read a quote from the Alaska State Senator (a Democrat) who is spearheading the investigation. Sen. Hollis French said that he didn’t need to issue subpoenas because Palin’s office was cooperating fully and that he intended to look at everything in context before making determinations about the situation. So, I’ll reserve judgment until his investigation is complete.
As for her views, there are some things that this moderate Republican doesn’t love. Her views on abortion and gay rights aren’t the same as my own. And her contention that creationism should be taught in public schools perplexed this Evangelical Christian.
Despite my disagreement with those positions, I feel that the good far outweighs the bad. I’m excited to see her debate Senator Joe Biden because I think she has what it takes to hold her own. And I’m interested to see what influence she will have on the ticket, and the party as a whole.
