Garnet Donkey

The more I read about Palin, the more I feel insulted as a Democratic woman. You’re really chosing Sarah Palin as your VP, John McCain? Really?

You barely know Sarah Palin. You are running a campaign trumpeting the value of experience against vapid celebrity and you pick an ex-beauty queen with just two years as governor of a tiny (population-wise) state, preceded by a time as mayor of an itty-bitty town. Really, John McCain? Really?

Your VP choice is exceptionally important, under the circumstances of your own condition. You’re running to be the oldest first-term president ever while implicitly promising your own health. Yet your campaign tells us that, as VP, Palin would have four years to learn from you before you (god forbid) die. Really, John McCain? Really?

Palin is a unbelievably terrible choice on policy. She undermines you in areas where you actually do buck the party line (see drilling in ANWR). She’s a counterproductive choice on choice, because you were ridiculously successfully having it both ways: the base knows you’re actually incredibly anti-choice, but you purposely allow moderates to believe your share their moderation. You had pro-choice Hillary supporters willfully believing you’d protect Roe and you go and pick a pro-lifer so extreme she alienates even most pro-lifers (Palin opposes contraceptive use even among married couples and belong to a group that opposes a rape-exception for abortion)? Really, John McCain? Really?

Sarah Palin is an inexperienced, unknown governor from an electorally unimportant state you were going to win anyway. Her only appeal lies in gender and yet you overlooked any number of stronger, better-qualified Republican women (Liddy Dole, for starters, but also Kay Bailey Hutchinson and both senators from Maine, all of whom you know well and have both personal and professional relationships with). Your ham-handed, condescending attempt to capitalize on (in my opinion, overblown) dissatisfaction in Obama among Hillary supporters shows not only how much you misunderstand Hillary Clinton, but how much you misunderstand women voters. I’m offended by your tacit suggestion that women will vote for a woman not only without regard to her positions on issues, but in spite of her view on the issues Clinton supporters (and Democratic women more generally) care most about. I don’t believe that you’re stupid, Senator McCain, but your choice tells me that you think I am. Really, John McCain? Really?