Not My America - Politics and Palin

I have voted since I was 18 years old, in fact, I remember registering to vote during Mr. Rubin’s AP American History class in the fall of my senior year. It was a rite of passage in a way; from merely learning about government to exercising my freedom to participate in the political process. And since that day, I have never missed an opportunity to vote. Never! And never have I felt the passion and zeal that I do for this election. So much seems to be at stake. I’m personally affected in a way that I never have been before and I know so many others who feel the same way. So as we get closer to Super Tuesday, I wanted to share my thoughts and concerns about the Republican candidate for Vice President, Sarah Palin, in hopes that you will help me.

First of all, who is Governor Sarah Palin? What makes her “appropriate” to become the Vice President of the United States of America? Well, last night at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN, she sought to set the record straight about her background and I was all geared up to hear it. Having watched her speak when McCain first introduced her as his “woman” of choice, because you knew it would be a woman, right? I’m not sure I gleaned any additional information about her as a person from her speech. What I perceive is that she is very aggressive and on the attack. In her words “a pit-bull with lipstick." As a woman, I can respect her tough girl act because politics on this level means playing with the big boys, however, I still have two major concerns with her speech and perhaps, with her:

The Comparison. Why is she comparing herself to Barack Obama? Why is ANYONE comparing Palin to Obama? Is this a minority issue – black versus female? Are we back to that again, or should I ask, have the Republicans picked up where the Clintons, oops, I mean where the primaries left off? But at least when Hillary was the opponent, she and Obama were on the same turf. Obama is running for the highest office in the land and Palin is the opponent’s running mate. That does not make sense to me. Are her complaints about Obama relevant to McCain as well? Was he ever a city council member, mayor, governor? Does this mean he has no executive experience either?

The Family. Should family be off limits? When you enter a political contest you must be aware that the roof comes off the house and your life is now a reality show. It comes with the territory, which is why so many great candidates choose not to run. Remember Colin Powell? How great is he? I read that he declined to run for president in 2000, mainly to protect his wife’s privacy? Family first, right? Well, Palin has an interesting family. Her husband Todd, of 2 decades and 5 years have 2 boys and 3 girls in between. Her youngest, Trig, has downs syndrome and she shared that “children with special needs inspire a very special special love” and went as far as to “pledge that you will have a friend, an advocate in the White house". Having a sister with autism I can appreciate her stance because this part of our society is too often overlooked and dismissed as useless. I really hope she will be an advocate for special needs children and adults even if she does not make it to Pennsylvania Avenue. However, the bigger topic of the day is whether she will advocate for teaching safe sex or abstinence in schools? With the boom in teenage pregnancies and the amount of sexually transmitted diseases associated - this is a topic to be addressed, but she did not do so last night. So what message is she sending to the American people? Palin says her family has the “same ups and downs as others.” Does the awareness that she has five children, one with special needs and one (a teenager) with child, make her more amiable to you? Ultimately, is it her best decision to pursue this role with so many family matters on her plate? Is Palin putting her family first? Is this a fair representation of her leadership style? I don't know, do you?

Again, there is a lot at stake and America needs the right leadership for the right type of change. Furthermore, when you come out swinging you have to be prepared to take a few punches. I owe it to myself to examine all the candidates, male or female, black or white. Sure, I have my preference and I've had my say, but I'm open to hearing from you in your own words.