VP Debate

Call me crazy but I really can't understand the talking heads who say that Gov Palin did a good job last night in the debate. She can give a good talking point speech, make eyecontact and say it all with an air of confidence, but there's no substance! Yes, I'm impressed that a mom with 5 kids has accomplished what she has done and holds a respectable public office such as Governor of a state. She is warm and shares here personal life with her audience in a way that is disarming and fresh. But does that mean that she is qualified for the office of VP?

Let's face it, a lot of women who are in the public eye or public office do the same thing. Guess what? Men do it too. They share a bit of themselves with their audience to show their human-ness and how much like their audience they are. It's a tactic of persuasion and anyone running for an office or in the public eye who is successful, does this. But that's just not enough of a reason for me to even consider voting for her ticket.

How intimidating could Katie Couric be? Really? Palin couldn't answer a simple question like what newspapers or magazines she reads to keep her informed. I could have respected an answer like the New Republic or even the Achorage Daily News or another local Alaskan paper. But she couldn't or wouldn't answer the question. In fact she hardly answered one single question from the moderator last evening. She simply ignored them and spoke her already prepared talking point that seemed closest to what the moderator asked about.

Some of you will say, well all politicians do that. And some do. But to see Palin up there next to Joe Biden, who although I have some issues with, is clearly a true stateman in comparison. My humble yet screaming opinion is that John McCain was coerced by the RNC and powerbrokers to pick Palin because she is a great face, a puppet that they can get to say or do anything that the true power holders of the Republican Party tell her to. She is another George W. But because she is a woman, everyone's falling all over themselves for her.

There are plenty of women in this world who do what she does. They are community leaders, hold public office, run board rooms, give speeches and have a family. Some people in New York gave Hillary Rodham Clinton a hard time when she first ran for Senate. They complained that she hadn't had enough public office experience that she should start from the bottom with a congressional seat first and work her way up the ranks like everybody else. But she ISN"T everybody else. She is extraordinary. She is extraordinarily smart and has over 40 years of experience from political activism to practicing law to raising a daughter to bringing true substance to the role of First Lady of our nation. Maybe she is a carpet bagger who moved here to run for office. But she has done good things for the State of New York and for our Country.

Palin has been around for about 5 minutes. She is a shiny new personality to take the stage that is distracting us from the real issues. Can you really see her presiding over a contensious Senate debate?
So I ask you, why do YOU think they picked Palin?