Thoughts on Sarah Palin’s Speech at the GOP Convention

Guest post by Soapbox Mom:

Updated 9.5.08:

Consider this quote for a moment:

“The American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin’s scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads.”

– Nicole Wallace, the McCain Campaign

She won’t be talking to the media.  They won’t let her!  Wha?!

In the following speech, Senator Biden expressed the same thoughts and feelings I experienced after watching Palin’s sarcastic, mean-spirited, stand-up comedienne schtick:

The McCain Campaign tells us that this campaign is not about issues (!).  Will Americans fall for this game they’re asking us to play?  Turning democracy into a popularity contest as if it’s a high school election?

I began working in student government as an idealistic, hopeful young woman but became disillusioned after serving in “real” government at the highest levels and seeing things that I never expected to see in politics. Despite my growing cynicism, I couldn’t deny the accomplishments of the elected leaders of our country in the 90s, including eliminating the abominable debt from George H.W. Bush’s years in office, and leaving us with a surplus.

Then, in 2001 when George W. Bush took office, I believed our country would suffer some setbacks (e.g., a more conservative Supreme Court which would likely curtail civil rights) but I resigned myself to accepting his leadership while mumbling under my breath, “Well, how bad can it be? Let’s see what happens. It won’t be pretty, but maybe it won’t be horrible.”  I was trying to convince myself that the country could make it through – we would be all right.  I tried to believe that we could weather the storm and fix things after it was all over.  I never imagined it would get this bad.

Eight years later, after the GOP enjoyed control of both the White House and the Congress, we have a seemingly insurmountable burden of debt, a housing crisis, and health care problems that are no closer to being solved than they were a decade ago.

Mind you, I’m no radical liberal. One of my favorite jobs was working in the Department of Justice for a Republican. I consider myself a patriot and a seeker of justice. With my whole heart, I want what’s best for this country.

I’ve spent nearly two years following the candidates running for president and have listened carefully to both Senators Obama and McCain. I firmly believe that, if people open their hearts and minds to Obama’s positions and vision, they will see that his ideas are, without a doubt, the best for our great country. If they open their eyes and ears, and cut through the unfortunate and excessive (though arguably incredibly well crafted) spin, they will understand that Senator McCain’s choice of running mate is just one example of the kinds of risks he is willing to take. Democrats and Republicans alike acknowledge that the move was high risk (but notice the GOP spin it as part of his “maverick” character). Cut through the spin and focus on the main point – it was risky.

Ms. Palin’s desire to be part of the global stage is insufficient to deem her trustworthy and incomparable to Obama’s plans for this country. At the very least, you must admit that we’ve had over a year of raking Obama over the coals in a hard fought primary election. Does anyone honestly believe Palin could have stood up to that kind of contest? We have only a little over a month to try to become acquainted with her.

She gave She’s sure to give a fantastic a disappointingly mean-spirited, snide, saracastic speech tonight at the Republican National Convention, After all, despite the fact that she was trained in journalism and worked as a sportscaster. She’s a beautiful woman and proven to be telegenic but she spoke lies and delivered mean words with a smile and a chuckle.  Such disrespect is not the kind of behavior I want my kids to emulate.

I don’t buy the assertion that being a mayor of a small town in Alaska is comparable to Barack Obama’s or Joe Biden’s experience just because she can read copy well and looks good on stage. Maybe in a few years, but this year?  She’s not ready.  Read Obama’s books, which he wrote himself. Take note of the fact that he has a heavy hand in his speech writing and devises, determines, and deeply believes the policies he espouses. Remember that he taught constitutional law, served in the state senate and the US Senate.

And besides, she’s the VP candidate!  How does she compare to Sen. Biden?? Holing up a VP candidate in a hotel room for a couple of days to brief her on policy issues before telling her what to say simply cannot be compared to decades spent working in, contemplating, writing about, and devoting oneself to public service.

Think about it. If she were a half a heartbeat away from the most powerful position in the world, we simply have no idea what she would do. If you watched her speech when she accepted McCain’s choosing her as his running mate, or her speech at the RNC, you must have noticed the body language. At the first event, some people thought McCain was inappropriately gawking at her. I disagree, but what I did notice was the lack of professional chemistry between them. Also, I was struck by the look in her eyes. My mother always said, “The eyes are the window to the soul.”

She barely paid attention to Senator McCain when she accepted his nomination and her eyes showed that she felt absolutely awestruck by the platform. To me, she seemed so enraptured by the power inherent in the position that she conjured up images of Golem in The Lord of the Rings, creepily whispering “oh, my precious” as he held the ring of power. Remember that power turned kind-hearted Smeagol into the less-than-altruistic Golem. Indeed, little compares to the pull of ultimate power, or even getting close to that kind of power.

We can’t let this happen. We can’t take another chance on our country’s future.

For the first time since I can remember, the vice presidential candidates are important in our presidential election. Sen. McCain is 72 years old – the average life expectancy of American men is 75.  If, God forbid, anything should happen to either of the presidential candidates, which of the vice presidential candidates would more capably step into the role of president and keep our country safe?

Look at Senator Biden. Sure, he’s considered a blowhard by some, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone with more foreign policy experience, savvy or wisdom. Ms. Palin, by contrast? What the heck would she do? In her own words, she admitted that she doesn’t even know what the vice president of the United States “does every day.” Cindy McCain tried to claim that Palin had foreign policy experience because Alaska is geographically close to Russia. The McCain campaign has said that she’ll learn at the feet of McCain. That’s simply not enough for me. Especially compared with Senator Biden.

And who would she learn from in the event of an early demise of the leader of the free world? And who would serve as her vice president? If, as the GOP like to claim, she’s a maverick (who doesn’t follow her party), we have absolutely no idea. Honestly, are conservatives comfortable with that? Is anyone? I’m not.

Senator Obama will be a wonderful role model for our children. Journalists, bloggers, and regular folks have been displaying so much emotion about the Palin pick. But have you seen Barack Obama talk about it? Calm and assertive. The man is calm and assertive about everything, including Ms. Palin. We can all take a lesson from him.

Let’s start by calmly and honestly analyzing Governor Palin’s policy positions. You’ll find that they’re even closer to Bush/Cheney policies than Senator McCain’s stances (where he voted 90% with Pres. Bush)!  Look past the expected polish and prepared words in tonight’s the RNC speech written by Bush’s speechwriter, and listen to her in the debates, then research her actions in her brief time as governor.

And pay close attention to her eyes.

*****

The day after the speech:

“The speech that Gov. Palin gave was well delivered, but it was

written by George Bush’s speechwriter and sounds exactly like

the same divisive, partisan attacks we’ve heard from

George Bush for the last eight years,” said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

“If Gov. Palin and John McCain want to define ‘change’ as

voting with George Bush 90% of the time, that’s their choice, but we

don’t think the American people are ready to take a 10% chance on change.”

– Obama Team