We have been asked to believe a lot during the 2008 campaign for president, but perhaps the most outrageous request came from John McCain when he asked us to believe that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the best choice for vice president.
Her lack of experience makes Barack Obama look like a senior statesman. She has been governor of one of the least populous states for less than two years and before that she was the mayor, and a member of the city council, in a town about the size of Colchester.
Her performance in the debate and few media interviews she has granted has been less than impressive. She is interviewing for the second most important job in the country based on a one-page briefing and a few catch-all talking points — and it shows.
This might be acceptable, in some cases, except for the fact that the number one requirement for a vice presidential nominee is the ability to assume the office of president at a moment’s notice. And since McCain is a man of a certain age, it is far more likely that Palin could be thrust into the Oval Office than Joe Biden would be, if Obama wins.
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Better Choices
It’s not like there weren’t other choices: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Whitman, Condoleezza Rice, Sen. Elizabeth Dole, former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, and the entire list of also rans from this year’s Republican primary contest. Any one of them is more qualified.
Before the Palin the selection, the most outrageous thing we were being asked to believe came from Obama. He still wants us to think that his opposition to the war in Iraq when he was serving in the Illinois Senate qualifies him to be president. Connecticut state senators Martin Looney and Toni Harp were also against the war, but for some reason they were never mentioned as possible candidates.
As outlandish as Obama’s claim is, the Palin choice makes it possible for many to turn away from McCain and begin to consider Obama as the best alternative. Obama’s lack of experience is backstopped by Biden’s 30 years on the national and world stage. Biden is Obama’s Dick Cheney. What does Palin bring to the Republican ticket except curiosity and a greater understanding of snow machines and moose hunting?
If this sounds harsh, perhaps that’s what is necessary. In general, the news media is treating Gov. Palin with great deference, fearful of being viewed as sexist or elitist. This special treatment is not only unwarranted, it’s a disservice to the American people.
Many in the news media admit they failed to ask critical questions that might have prevented our invasion of Iraq for fear of being judged as un-American. The reluctance to question Palin’s credentials could be a repeat of the same mistake.
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As Nonfiction, It Is Dangerous
Part of Palin’s appeal is her status as an outsider. The hockey mom, who through circumstance, finds herself in a position to lead the country the same way you would run a household, with a husband, five kids and a dog or two. The story line is supposed to reflect the triumph of common sense over the establishment. It makes for a good movie — starring Kevin Kline — but as nonfiction, it is dangerous.
It is said that vice presidential selections can only hurt a ticket and that they rarely help. In a year when all the advantages tilt toward Democrats, McCain’s self-inflicted mortal wound may have been the choice of a running mate that common sense tells us is not ready for the job.
Dean Pagani is a former gubernatorial advisor. He is V.P. of Public Affairs for Cashman and Katz Integrated Communications in Glastonbury.
