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The No. 1 criterion for the selection of a vice-presidential candidate is whether the person could assume the presidency in the event of the death of the incumbent. Palin is unprepared to do so. Despite criticizing Sen. Obama for his lack of experience, McCain chose an individual with even less experience and no foreign policy credentials. Palin was mayor of a small Alaska town and has served as governor for only 18 months. Moreover, in an interview last month, Palin asked what exactly does the vice president do. Is she unaware of the activist roles that vice presidents Gore and Cheney played in their respective administrations? Perhaps the news didn’t travel to Alaska.
McCain’s slogan is “Country First,” yet his choice clearly reflects his personal ambitions. McCain has demonstrated insensitivity to women’s issues, opposing equal pay for equal work. He patronizes women by thinking that disaffected female Clinton supporters would vote for him simply because he has a woman on the ticket. Palin is woefully inadequate for the challenges of the 21st century. She does not believe in global warming, wants creationism taught along with evolution, favors drilling in ANWR and opposes efforts to place polar bears on the endangered species list (despite the melting of their home, the polar ice cap).
In sum, McCain’s first important decision, the choosing of Sarah Palin as his running mate, reveals a stunning lack of good judgment.
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