Just hours after Sen. Barack Obama's historic nomination and magnificent acceptance speech, it was McCain's turn to seize the spotlight with his 'maverick" VP choice.
And the winner is ……Gov. Sarah Palin, of Alaska, a 44 year old, gun-toting "hockey mom.''
Palin who is two years into her first term as a governor, has had no presence on the national scene until now. She has no foreign policy credentials or insider Washington knowledge - all the things the McCain campaign and the press have hounded Obama about.
But none of that is important now – what is important is that she is a woman, which means that all those disaffected Hillary Clinton voters will now jump ship and switch to supporting a woman who disagrees with Democrats (and pro-choice independents) on almost every issue. She is a cynical choice by a presidential nominee who has obstructed women's rights for much of his time in the Senate, who was confounded when recently asked if insurance companies should be made to pay for contraception for women the same way they pay for Viagra for over-the hill men.
As expected, the equally cynical pundits are praising McCain for his "stunning" and "brilliant' choice. "Out of box!,'' cried one; "History-making!" cried others. McCain's thinking is apparently that women supported Hillary Clinton simply because she was a female. Therefore, if he picks a woman, the Republican party will appear to be making progress on women's issues and women will drop the cause of Democratic unity and flock to his campaign.
But Hillary Clinton was not just a token female candidate – she has been a presence on the national scene. Clinton's historic run for the presidency was made possible because she was the first former First Lady to be elected to public office in her own right. She was the inevitable Democratic nominee, until Obama came along. She had been in the trenches and fought the big boys.
And what of other prominent Republican women in the House or Senate and were possibly passed over? The story of how Palin came to be VP has yet to be told, but it will be interesting to find out if any Republican women with national credentials were considered. My guess is probably not.
And the winner is ……Gov. Sarah Palin, of Alaska, a 44 year old, gun-toting "hockey mom.''
Palin who is two years into her first term as a governor, has had no presence on the national scene until now. She has no foreign policy credentials or insider Washington knowledge - all the things the McCain campaign and the press have hounded Obama about.
But none of that is important now – what is important is that she is a woman, which means that all those disaffected Hillary Clinton voters will now jump ship and switch to supporting a woman who disagrees with Democrats (and pro-choice independents) on almost every issue. She is a cynical choice by a presidential nominee who has obstructed women's rights for much of his time in the Senate, who was confounded when recently asked if insurance companies should be made to pay for contraception for women the same way they pay for Viagra for over-the hill men.
As expected, the equally cynical pundits are praising McCain for his "stunning" and "brilliant' choice. "Out of box!,'' cried one; "History-making!" cried others. McCain's thinking is apparently that women supported Hillary Clinton simply because she was a female. Therefore, if he picks a woman, the Republican party will appear to be making progress on women's issues and women will drop the cause of Democratic unity and flock to his campaign.
But Hillary Clinton was not just a token female candidate – she has been a presence on the national scene. Clinton's historic run for the presidency was made possible because she was the first former First Lady to be elected to public office in her own right. She was the inevitable Democratic nominee, until Obama came along. She had been in the trenches and fought the big boys.
And what of other prominent Republican women in the House or Senate and were possibly passed over? The story of how Palin came to be VP has yet to be told, but it will be interesting to find out if any Republican women with national credentials were considered. My guess is probably not.
Will Hillary Clinton's disaffected supporters make the switch? It depends on their answer to the question Clinton asked during the convention; "Were you in it only for me?''
During the lead-up to his vice presidential pick, Sen. Barack Obama called his vice presidential selection "the first and most important decision I will make as president.'' If that's so, then McCain just flunked his first test.--
During the lead-up to his vice presidential pick, Sen. Barack Obama called his vice presidential selection "the first and most important decision I will make as president.'' If that's so, then McCain just flunked his first test.--
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