Gender Does Not Make Up For Palin’s Résumé

By Broadside Opinion Writer John Koblan

An estimated 23,000 people descended to see John McCain and Sarah Palin on Wednesday, Sept. 10, according to the official Fairfax City Police Estimate. Former Hillary Clinton supporters spoke up on the stage after being introduced by Congressman and George Mason University Professor Tom Davis. They talked about how the Democrats missed their chance to make history. They talked about her 18 million votes and how Palin will crack that glass ceiling.

The Republicans are hypocritical by using the Clinton supporters after making Clinton a national Republican piñata for the past 16 years. Now, McCain is reaching out and holding secret meetings with her top supporters after selecting Palin as his running mate. These former Clinton supporters have nothing politically in common with Palin. Clinton was an advocate for abortion. Palin is pro life. Clinton went down swinging for universal health care. I would hope that my fellow Mason students vote based on what they believe in versus media caricatures or the fact that a candidate is a woman or a black man.

In her speech at the park, Palin proudly told us that she took on the lobbyists and special interest groups in Alaska. The problem is that she wasn’t telling the whole story. According to The Washington Post, “Palin was part practical politician, accepting more than $34,000 from medical groups that were trying to spur competition, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Campaign Money Watch. She also worked closely with Paul Fuhs, an Anchorage lobbyist who was helping imaging firms battle hospitals over control of a lucrative trade. And while supporters and opponents credited her with reaching out to all sides, they also said she was a fierce idealist, taking a philosophical position and not giving ground.”

Palin laid the Alaskan accent on thick. She mostly talked about her record as an Alaskan reformer. A current investigation is going on to see if Palin wrongly dismissed the state's public safety commissioner because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, state trooper Mike Wooten. She said she was honored to be considered as part of the “maverick team with John McCain.” McCain built her husband Todd up like he was a rustic character out of Jack London’s Call of the Wild, describing him as a four-time snow mobile world champion and an oil worker in the north slopes of Alaska. This was a sharp contrast to Barack Obama throwing down a challenge to America at the Denver DNC when he stated, “we will be energy independent in 10 years.”

Americans respect and commend McCain’s service in Vietnam (Faith of My Fathers is worth reading regardless of your political views. It talks about the McCain family during WWII and Vietnam). However, McCain is 72. He had a recent battle with melanoma, which can be deadly. The vice president is a heartbeat away from potentially becoming president, and we must believe that Palin is ready to become president.

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch said it best. In an interview with The Washington Post, Koch made clear that one reason for his support for his Obama was the addition of Palin to the Republican ticket. "She scares the hell out of me," Koch said, referring to an alleged incident in Wasilla, Alaska, where she was mayor. Koch accused her of wanting to censor books at a local library and asking the librarian who refused to resign. The accusation itself is concerning, as if Palin thought of herself as the Thought Police of Wasilla. It’s disturbing and illustrates her thought process or lack thereof.

Recently, there has been a heavy outcry over Obama using a “pig with lipstick” analogy. Perhaps Palin should start planning for her debate with the venerable and formidable statesman Joe Biden on Oct. 2. If she doesn’t, Palin will come across not as the dynamic heroine of the GOP, but Miss Piggy, guided by a GOP hand.