Again, this shouldn't be about Palin or her family, although allegations that she abused her office, both as Mayor (she fired her police chief and library director--ouch--for political reasons)and Governor certainly ought be investigated. Rather this speaks volumes about McCain.Sir:
Your column and many of the posts on it have been overtaken by events. To wit, your observation "If Mr. Obama had picked a less experienced man—Tim Kaine, the governor of Virginia, another swing state, for example—they would be mocking the Democratic ticket as lightweight." Now that Senator McCain has selected one of the least experienced public officials in the United States as his running mate, what does that say about the credibility of his candidacy? It destroys it. Here’s a man who’s been running for President the last two years solely because of alleged superior credentials in foreign policy and national security. He used this argument not just against Senator Obama, but also against his rivals for the Republican nomination, Governors Huckabee and Romney and Mayor Giuliani, men with vastly more executive experience than he has. So he selects a person with no experience at all in these areas. What does this say about McCain’s core principles? Does he have any? What does this say about his judgment? Here’s a seventy-two year old man, with a history of serious cancer, whose father died at seventy and paternal grandfather died at sixty-one, who selects a successor with such a limited background in critical national issues. What does this say about his decision-making processes? My city spends more time reviewing job applicants for our public library than Senator McCain did in picking a potential Vice-President of the United States. Would anyone hire a CEO who made decisions like that?
Governor Palin may be an estimable person and public servant. She may indeed be one of the rising stars of the Republican Party. Senator Obama, after all, was just a state senator four years ago. Subsequently he has demonstrated through his knowledge of the issues, managerial abilities (he has run the most efficient and effective presidential campaign in modern memory) and political skills that he has the potential of being an excellent, if hot a very great, President. Senator McCain, alas, has demonstrated that he is utterly unqualified for the office.