I have a couple of issues with Sarah Palin and I will address those issues. First, let me say that I have never been more impressed with the way a person stayed focused amid an onslaught of attacks and did what she was supposed to do. There was no shortage the newcomer talk, unfounded allegations of wrong doing, horrible attacks on a daughter who is not relative to the race. Through it all Sarah Palin kept her eye on the prize and gave a brilliant convention speech. Touché!
She stared down the liberal biased media, built credibility and sent that liberal biased media back peddling. MSNBC is demoting two of its anchors for their failures to derail her. Someone had to be thrown under the bus… it was supposed to be Sarah Palin, but wound up being Chris Mathews and Keith Olberman. Touché, again!
The Democrats proudly boast of having the candidate who cracked the glass ceiling with eighteen million votes for during the primaries. As Sarah Palin pointed out, Geraldine Ferraro put a few cracks in that ceiling as the first woman Vice Presidential candidate long before Hillary burst onto the scene. Geraldine actually made it to the general election, something Hillary did not do. Palin has now made it nationally as well. She has done something that Democrats tout as a good thing for women… well Democrat women. Republican women are still not quite there yet… my bad for thinking they were.
Amid all the Democratic rhetoric and childish whining about Palin has anyone noticed that Hillary and Bill Clinton have yet to weigh in on the Palin selection and they have not commented on her acceptance speech. Whatever else you think of the Clintons, believe them to be smart people and you will be right. They know McCain's campaign hit a homerun with Palin's selection. It is not over, but McCain's campaign has momentum.
Hillary has to be smiling, no laughing out loud at this point. She will be running in 2012 against Palin and her selected running mate. McCain is not likely to make it through a full term and will definitely not make a re-election bid. His dementia will progress quickly under the stress of the Oval Office job. History will again be made in 2012; we will have a woman elected President of The United States. There will not be a man at the top of either major party ticket.
Hillary must now put her head together with Bill and all of her supporters to quietly destroy Barack Obama in 2008. What a sweet revenge for her as she preserves the race in 2012 for a Hillary and someone ticket. This is politics…she will go for it.
Back to Palin and my issues with her. Let's look at her true weakness, which by the way can be easily overcome if she is willing. One way to start overcoming her weakness is to admit she has the weakness. I would love to hear her say, “I don't know” if she truly does not know the answer to a question. Those three words are ones that politicians cannot say. Why, I will never know. No one knows the answer to everything… well, maybe columnists… but no one else.
For certain, if Palin is asked an energy related question, she must stop repeating that Alaskans are ready, willing and able to accept the challenge. The energy issue is not a challenge for Alaskans; it is an opportunity for them to make more money. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that concept. All Americans should be able to make more money. No need for Palin to cast it as though Alaska is stepping up to save the nation. Leave that dramatic national rescue for the next fictional episode of Batman or Superman. No one person, or state, will save this nation.
Palin must focus on her strengths and she cannot be afraid to own her weaknesses, and then move ahead of them. American voters are not looking for Mr. or Ms. Perfect but they are looking for someone who will get the job done. If Sarah Palin shows what she can do and leaves the rhetoric for the other side, she will be the winner for her ticket.
