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Sarah Palin must feel like she has the entire weight of the Republican Party on her shoulders today. I don't envy her. It must be an awesome responsibility for her to take on. Is it fair?
Being a politician means that one must become adept at giving answers that sound like answers but which don't say anything. Sarah Palin isn't good at that. She's just the hockey mom she portrays herself as. She's used to calling it as she sees it and letting the chips fall where they may.
That approach may be fine in a sparsely populated state, but on the national political stage it is proving to be poisonous. It is proving to be embarrassing and it is proving to be revealing about her readiness to serve as the President.
I don't dislike Sarah Palin, but her strong of TV interviews wherein she gives these long rambling non-sequiters to plain questions is troubling. It is obvious that even under the questioning of a TV Anchor she can have a propensity to wilt when pressed on her depth of knowledge. Is it fair to judge her on her depth of knowledge about things like, say, the Supreme Court? I think so.
Sarah Palin could well step into the Oval Office considering John McCain's age. She could well become our President and I think the depth of her knowledge and understanding on the history of this country, the history of the three branches of our government is crucial to her making accurate, informed and well-intentioned decisions for the country.
If she can't go head-to-head with the Katie Couric's of the world how will she go head-to-head with the Dick Cheney's of the world? How will she counter the Warren Buffets and the Vladmir Putins? I'd argue that her common sense is worthless without a depth of understanding and knowledge of history and the functioning of our government that would enable her to make well-informed, common sense decisions.
Ms. Palin could not name a single title when asked what magazines and newspapers she reads to stay informed about issues. I find that distressing. I'd bet she could tell you the make of the tanning bed in the governor's mansion. I'd bet she could tell you the titles of the hunting and outdoors magazines she reads. Is it fair to expect her to regularly read some of the periodicals that discuss and opine about the issues of this country. I think so.
You see, it takes no background except church to make simple decisions based on nothing more than morals and values. She decided to keep her new son because not to do so would conflict with her values, fine, she and her family are the only ones impacted by that decision.
She could even go after corruption in government based on her morals and values, simple, straightforward decisions. When a moral or a value-based decision is clear, making a decision is relatively easy. The trouble with being President is that many decisions aren't issues of morals and values.
There isn't always a morally correct decision on what to do about a trade agreement with China. It isn't always a values issue when deciding to regulate the banking industry. It isn't necessarily a morals issue to demand monitoring of nuclear development in Iran. Yes, we need leaders who have strong morals and values and yes we certainly want these two things as the underpinning of their world view. What we do not need is someone who is incapable of making a decision based on knowledge and understanding of the world. We do not need someone making the wrong decision about going to war because they lack the ability to fully analyze the political, social and economic issues that influence the decision. Yes going to war is a moral and value based issue but the wisdom of entering into one involves infinite practical decisions more complicated than simply asking oneself, is going to war a moral decision? I don't want some Alaskan cowgirl shooting from the hip because Kim Jung Il hit her moral funny bone.
Is it fair to scrutinize the ability of Sarah Palin to understand the world, to explain her understanding clearly, to respond to tough and unscripted questions; and, to do all of this in a manner that befits a President of the United States of America? I think it's more than fair. Sarah Palin and the Republican Party are asking us to make her our vice president, to place her one heartbeat from the Oval Office. In light of that request, I think it's more than fair, it is our responsibility to question her until she is fully vetted and deemed to be qualified.
Just a simple curmudgeon observing life in the USA. Cranky posts to his blog regularly at http://crankyblog.com.
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