Wow, what a week, eh?  McCain shocks us all with an announcement this “in-the-know” gal never saw coming.  Experts murmurred and people much more knowledgable than I speculated.  But I’ll admit, I had to do some serious goggling when the official word finally broke.  Truth be told, I’m lazy and I wasn’t about to waste my time seeking out info on the half-dozen or so GOP’ers on the short list til a clearer picture was available.  I mean, who needs a bunch of politicians cloggin up your neurons needlessly, right?  So for me and many obviously, this choice was out of left-field (pardon the pun). 

Today Momocrats challenged readers to look at the issues that set Palin apart.  Apart progressives and apart from the person McCain might be delusional enough to think Palin can replace – Hillary Clinton.  I would have to do some research obviously to take on such an assignment. 

When I come across an unfamiliar name in politics, like many, I go to On The Issues.Org.  It gives me a jumping off point:  Is she pro-choice?  Ah, no.  Is she for gun control?  Ah, no.  Is she progressive on energy issues and environmental concerns?  Ah, no.  Is she for equal treatment of all citizens?  Ah, no. 

Not all too surprising, she is a Republican afterall and that certainly is the flawed party line.  But the startle comes when you go to the issues that are unknown.  It’s rare to see a politician with so little listed for those little things like:  IMMIGRATION!  TECHNOLOGY!  FREE TRADE!  FOREIGN AFFAIRS!

A Vice Presidential candidate with no declared background in Foreign Affairs?  While we are engaged in two wars?  Facing heated tensions in a handful of other global locations?  With a 72 year old wanna-be President? (Oh, Happy Birthday McCain, I was gonna send you a present, but what do you get a guy with more houses than he can count?  Gingkoba?) 

It was at this moment that I was convinced Ashton Kutcher was to blame and we (the American people) were being punked.  I mean McCain is the candidate that for the last eight months (even before Obama won the nod) sang a rousing chorus of “Obama has no experience!  With a capital E and that rhymes with P and that stands for Pool…where’s my pet press pool?”

Don’t get me wrong, there wasn’t much chance I was going to vote for McCain, short of Jesus being his running mate and all.  But shouldn’t it at least be a reasonably fair fight?  After the GOP ended up with the candidate NO ONE really wanted, didn’t my red friends (hi friends) deserve a decent running mate?  Sure they did.  And as much as I would like to celebrate his choice and take pride as a woman and a mother that someone who looks like me will jockey for the second highest office in the land, I simply can’t. 

You can take all the other pieces out of the equation.  Forget she’s not pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-civil rights for all people.  She’s simply not qualified to take command of this nation should the need arise.  And that need is a very real possibility, like it or not. 

McCain, you’re either stupid or you think we are.  Did you actually think any pair of breasts would do?  Democrats who voted for Hillary didn’t do it just because she’s a woman Johnny – they support her positions on issues, they admire her character and ethics, they AGREE with her on the basic fundamentals of how to govern this nation we all love so dearly.  You’re a fool to think that any ol’ woman would do to fill those shoes. 

So you’re right McCain (oh, how it pains me to type that), experience does matter.  And I’ll take Obama’s and Biden’s, every day and twice on Sunday over your’s and Sarah Palin’s. 

You’re a maverick alright, question is, what are you smokin’?

Go to Momocrats & read as other voters cover the Palin Comparison-all day Monday (9/1).