A study in contrasts

Everyone is in a tizzy today, because John McCain's new choice for VP is about to become a grandmother at 44. Sadly, everyone is focusing on the irony that this staunchly conservative, family values woman has a barely legal daughter, unwed...and five months with child. It's sad because it has taken the spotlight off of the truly unnerving prospect of having Sarah Palin one missed heartbeat away from the presidency: She is so utterly not qualified for the job that I would almost rather see Bush and Cheney back for a third term than her and McCain. Almost. Let's hope it does not come to that.

McCain (and Hillary) introduced the "experience" factor as an element in this race in order to denigrate Barack Obama. McCain is now hard pressed to make this case. Instead the focus is now on judgement - or in McCain's case, a lack thereof. Because this isn't just a "maverick" move, or simple pandering, it shows a dangerous lack of judgement by a man who now seems motivated to win at any cost, no matter the damage it causes this country.

There is a stark contrast between the kind of inexperience evinced by Ms. Palin and the kind that John McCain would have had you believe is an impediment for Barack Obama. First: Sarah Palin has barely been outside of the country. She only received her very first passport LAST YEAR! And only then because she was on a compulsory trip for her office. Do we really need another George W. Bush in the White House...another person with a dearth of international experience? Both Obama and Biden have her beat on this count. Second: Last year (again with an !) she was asked about the situation in Iraq. Her answer? She didn't know much about it. (In the voice of John Cleese - flummoxed by inane answers in a cheese shop): Don't know much about it??!! It's the single most important issue in the world today! This is amazing to me...and an enormous red flag. Obama and Biden have her beat on this issue. Third: Palin does not adequately address McCain's economic shortcomings. The good folks at Enron probably have the McCain/Palin ticket beat. Fourth: Her stands on critical issues are so far to the right...that she makes McCain look like George McGovern. She is against stem cell research, against gay rights, against abortion under any circumstance whatsoever, pro NRA, pro-drilling in Anwar, etc. Fifth: She was mayor of a small town...and has only been governor for 20 months. Not exactly the kind of resume one finds for Vice President of the United States. Everyone has her beat here as well. There are also minor scandals to which she is linked...and though minor, are far more tangible than the accusations emanating from the Rove/Schmidt-fueled McCain camp about Obama's "link" to the weathermen, etc.

I think it will be very difficult for McCain to try and draw the contrasts he originally envisioned between his ticket, and the democratic ticket. The Dems now have the edge in experience on virtually every front. Maybe McCain can try again to contrast Obama with middle America by again labeling him as a "rock star." Well...I'll tell you this: I'd rather have a rock star than a fossile any day. Especially a fossile that confuses bad judgement with being a maverick.