Sarah Palin - Really??????

So John McCain just did the stupidest thing in his entire career or the most amazing and it all depends on your point of view. Today he nominated Sarah Palin, 2 year governor of Alaska and extreme right wing religious mother of 5, as a VP choice.

Here's a little bit about Sarah that concerns me:
1) I'm always offended by mothers of children with disabilities who think they are a better parent than anyone else. Perhaps Sarah doesn't think that but people are already admiring her ability to have 5 children (including one with Downs syndrome born in April) and be governor. Having children with disabilities myself (two in my case) I can understand experiences I've had are different than parents of typical kids. But this doesn't make me better or more experienced than others except when it comes to kids with disabilities. Same goes for Sarah. While we are on the parenting side of things now is a good time to point out that Sarah being a mother to 5 kids is no more relevant to the discussion than the fact that Biden was a widower with young boys for 11 years before remarrying. Where's the admiration for how well he handled that while being a senator?

2) Her experience is vastly less than Obama's. She grew up in Alaska, went to college in Idaho, had a variety of jobs none related to the Constitution, public office, bettering the world or anything else unless PTA mom counts. By contrast, Obama was a state legislator for years, lawyer, active in bettering the diverse neighborhoods in Chicago and always interested in improving the world through politics.

3) She is more religious than all but the most fundamentalist religious right. This excellent blog has some great quotes from some of her speeches:

More from from the 2006 campaign for governor in the Anchorage Daily News (which is suddenly the most popular news source in America). How she would feel if she walked into a church and heard a minister or pastor endorse a candidate for governor:

PALIN: "A pastor, a priest, a rabbi, certainly they have the freedom to say whatever they want to say. And you know, thank the lord that we do have that freedom of speech.
"Faith is very important to so many of us here in America, and I would never support any government effort to stifle our freedom of religion or freedom of expression or freedom of speech.
"You know, I would just caution maybe a pastor to be very careful if they're in front of a congregation and they decide to endorse one candidate over another. You know, there may be some frustration with that candidacy endorsement being made manifest by a few, fewer dollars in the offering plate, so I would just offer that bit of caution. (laughing.)
"But, no, I'll tell you, freedom of speech is so precious and it's worth defending and of course freedom of religion and freedom of expression will be things that I will fight for."

About teaching creationism in public schools:

PALIN: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information.
"Healthy debate is so important and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both.
"And, you know, I say this, too, as the daughter of a science teacher. Growing up with being so privileged and blessed to be given a lot of information on, on both sides of the subject -- creationism and evolution.
"It's been a healthy foundation for me. But don't be afraid of information and let kids debate both sides."

She vetoed a bill to give same sex couples health benefits. She is rabidly pro life (more about that in a minute). She is a member of an Assembly of God (Pentecostal) church. The Aof G's stance on many social issues can be found here. Especially check out the ones on alcohol, divorce, homosexuality, and abortion.

4) I want to be very clear on my next point. I personally am pro-life for myself. However, I am also pro-choice. I trust other women to make the best decisions for themselves and families. It is NONE of my business. My comment really isn't even about abortion. It is about what Sarah's (and other pro lifers') view of children born that others would have aborted. Here is her quote:

An outspoken anti-abortion Republican, Palin has spoken out about her fifth child, who was diagnosed in utero with Down syndrome.

"We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives," the Republican National Committee quoted her as saying. "We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed."

Why does this disturb me? I'm glad she loves her son and I am thrilled that she can realize that a child with disabilities still brings joy and happiness. However, I have a friend who is very pro-choice who has a daughter with Downs. Strangers have come up to her in public to congratulate her for bringing such a "precious soul" into the world. She feels these comments make it sound like the possibility of having a child with Downs is so incredibly horrific that only those who are forced to keep the child because of their moral stance would have them. She feels it devalues her daughter and highlights that she is less than others. She knew before her daughter was born that she would have Downs and she chose to have her because she already loved her. In fact, plenty of women who swear they are anti-abortion have aborted babies showing disabilities and plenty of pro-choice women have had babies with known disabilities.

5) She doesn't believe in global warming. In fact, she thinks it isn't man doing it. She doesn't want polar bears on the endangered list because it might hurt oil. She is FIRMLY involved in the oil industry - we've had 8 years of that. Isn't it enough?

6) Oh the lack of experience....how in the world can anyone think she is qualified? McCain has done nothing but harp for months about how Obama is not ready. How in the world is she?

7) Finally, McCain's obvious pandering is annoying. He chose the most conservative candidate he could find. If a man held her positions and was chosen as VP he'd be very roundly criticized. But just because she is a woman we are supposed to over look her extremely conservative views and vote for history? He's trying to target women excited about Hilary and are betting that their emotions will overwhelm their ability to make a decision about a woman who could NOT be more different than them. Does McCain then think that women only make emotional decisions? Our emotions always override our rationality? Is he sure he wants a woman VP?

Needless to say I'm not impressed. More importantly many people I knew who were undecided have been pushed solidly to Obama's camp. They have confidence in Obama and Biden.

All we can do now is watch and wait.