by Dr. Larry Moses
No one asked me but… Headlines in the LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL stated: “Damage Lighter Than Expected But Bad Enough.” While it was referring to the front page story about hurricane Gustav, it might have been moved over a column and placed on the front page story about the Republican choice for Vice President, Sarah Palin.
What were John McCain and the Republicans thinking? The Republicans keep referring to her as the Governor of the largest state in the Union, and area wise they are correct. However, Alaska ranks 47th in population.
It reminds me of the time I applied for a job with the Nye County School District. It is the largest school district in the United States area wise, but at the time had fewer students in the entire district than a large high school in the Clark County School District. I told the superintendent that he could know every student by name if he could find them.
There are more than twice as many people living in Las Vegas as in the entire state of Alaska. Can you imagine the Senator from Alaska standing up in the Senate and stating, “My people will not tolerate this decision!” and the Senator from California standing up and saying. “What people?”
Let me state right now that I don’t care that her seventeen year old daughter is pregnant. You can’t hold a candidate responsible for the shortcomings of family members, even underage children. Anyone who has raised or dealt with children knows you can only lead, counsel and set examples; the chips will fall where they may.
Let me add that I don’t really care that her son has chosen a military career and will be headed to Iraq. While defending your country is commendable, it does not buy your mother anything as she seeks the second highest office in the land.
I don’t care that Barrack Obama and Joe Biden have no military time between them. Joe Biden’s five college deferments match up well with Dick Cheney’s. John McCain’s five years in a prison camp does not qualify, or disqualify, him as a candidate; it is merely a fact of his life. The fact that his grandfather and father were admirals in the United States Navy is interesting but fails to convince me that I should vote for him because of his genetic background. His two sons serving in Iraq does not mean he will be a better President than a forty-six year old Barrack whose children are too young to even consider serving in the military. If family counts, we should have never elected Jimmy Carter. Do you remember brother Billy?
While I think this is a crazy pick here are a few things I like about this “hockey mom”. She attended a conference of the Alaskan Independence Party, a states rights group that wants all the federal lands in Alaska returned to the state. That is a movement we could use in Nevada. I have often wondered why the federal government has any claim on Nevada land. If she ends up as the Vice-President maybe we could get a movement like that going here at home and find a champion in Washington, D.C.
When she became Mayor of Wasilla, a town of 7,000, she asked top city officials to submit resignation letters. This resulted in several departures including the Chief of Police. If you think there is a problem of elected officials hanging around too long, try to remove a bureaucrat that has been entrenched. We instituted term limits on elected officials and all that did was make the bureaucrat that much more important. Since elected officials are out of office before they really understand the operation of any departments bureaucrats are now the only ones who have any idea of what is going on.
Sarah Palin opposed the U.S. Government’s listing of a variety of animals as endangered, including the polar bear and beluga whale. These animals were being listed to keep people out of areas where Alaska is rich in natural resources. Eco-terrorists have used this tactic to keep people from enjoying the riches of many states including Nevada.
The fact that she was once a beauty pageant contestant should not hurt the feelings of anyone. That is a given for the men, but the ladies can also be glad for she is proof that you can be beautiful and bright. It is refreshing to know that a woman doesn’t have to look like Eleanor Roosevelt, Golda Mier, or Madeline Albright to have great leadership qualities. I know that smacks of male chauvinism, but I am old and that is the way life is.
I personally like the fact that she is the mother of five and can still hunt and fish. It is refreshing that we have a Vice-Presidential candidate who shoots game rather than the hunting partner. One person discussing Sarah Palin said she is the first vice-president since Teddy Roosevelt who could not only shoot a moose but field dress it as well. She is a card carrying member of the NRA. So is my wife but she doesn’t own a gun so I am not sure what that means.
A Democrat pundit stated Sarah Palin does not even have a passport so how could she possibly understand foreign affairs? She has never even been to Europe. That quickly added points. I and 73% of American citizens don’t have a passport. I fail to see why venturing into England or France would do anybody any good. England is a country that has been on decline for over one hundred years and the only thing France has been good at is surrendering in the face of an enemy. Both of those countries exist only because America wants them to. I am much more concerned with her knowledge of Russia, which is only 26 miles from her front door in Alaska, than her knowledge of Europe.
I am still not sure that picking her to fill the number two spot on the Republican ticket was a wise decision. Most of the reasons I like her are not reasons the independents or Hillary Clinton women voters would chose. She is a strong advocate of the right to life and the Hillary ladies are never going to give up their right to choose. Hillary referred to her supporters as “Sisters of the Traveling Pant Suit”. Have you notice Sarah Palin wears dresses?
Thought of the week…The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it. -P.J. O’Rourke
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