I have spent the last several days cogitating on Senator McCain's pick for VP, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.  I remember telling Mom that IF the Senator were smart he would choose a woman running mate.  Well he was half-assed smart.  Unfortunately, her religious and social conservatism coupled with her support for more oil drilling have totally solidified my determination to vote for Obama/Biden.  I would vote for Snoopy before I would vote for the Republicans.  I will make several small observations on this topic and none of them concern 'trooper-gate' or her daughter.  First, I am incredibly disappointed that any of the women who supported Hillary Clinton would think that Sarah Palin is in any way a reasonable substitute.  Did they support Hillary because she had IDEAS they agreed with or because she had ovaries and breasts like they did?  I could think of a more devious possibility.  Here in Indiana, Hillary won the primary because cross-over Republicans voted for her.  She won Indiana by two percentage points but five percent of the voters on the Democratic side were actually Republicans.  Second, the fawning mainstream media cannot be really serious about Sarah being a 'maverick' any more than they can seriously consider that John McCain deserves his reputation as a maverick.  They both tow the social/religious conservative line: anti-reproductive rights (will they go after Griswold v Connecticut if they succeed in getting Roe v Wade nullified?), anti-gay/lesbian rights, anti-social security, totally in the pocket of the finance/medical/insurance industries, and totally behind George Bush's vision of the American place in the world (that of not cop but mob enforcer).  Thirdly,  I am also somewhat insulted by the blatant hypocrisy of the choice.  Senator McCain has harped on Senator Obama's lack of 'experience' and then chooses a Governor in the middle of her first term to be a, as they say, heart beat away from the Presidency.  The Republican commentators' notion that the Governor is highly intelligent and a quick study who will be intensively coached in national and world affairs over the next four years because, of course, John McCain will survive those four years is just a little disingenuous.  I am insulted because they expect me to take that fools gold for the real thing and thank them for it with my vote.  Not Likely!!

Ronni Bennet at Time Goes By covers this topic very nicely.  Can't do better than looking at her blog of what has gone on so far.

Kay Dennison at Kay's Thinking Cap has a marvelous suggestion for an alternative to the candidates already vying for our votes: acerbic, witty, mature Maxine.  I love it.  Stop by and see the video.