Sarah Palin is a very bad pick in my opinion. It’s great that she’s a woman, but she’s not the first woman vice-presidential candidate as many would have the public believe. Nor is she the most experienced woman in the Republican party. I think it’s very obvious she was picked to sway voters for that reason alone, which is not the right reason to pick someone for that position. Barack Obama picked Joe Biden because he’s the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which helps Obama’s inexperience in that area. Palin does not help McCain in any area. She was the mayor of a 7,000 person town in Alaska where they are touting all of her experience there. She’s been Governor of Alaska for two years, almost as long as Obama/McCain have been on the campaign.

Her policies (text and reference links pulled from Wikipedia):

• She opposes same-sex marriage.
• She’s pro-life (anti-choice).
• Palin supported the Alaska Department of Fish and Game policy allowing Alaska state biologists to hunt wolves from helicopters as part of a predator control program intended to increase moose populations.  (by the way, Palin is heavily touted by the Republican party as a moose hunter ) http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2008/2008-03-18-01.asp
• She opposes putting polar bears on the endangered species list: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/opinion/05palin.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=bearing%20up%20by%20sarah%20palin&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
• Palin also opposes strengthening protections for beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, where oil and gas development has been proposed. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837868,00.html
• She supports teaching creationism in public schools http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.html
  Edit: This has been debunked.
• Palin has strongly promoted oil and natural gas resource development in Alaska, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Sarah_Palin_Environment.htm

She has never been out of the country in an official capacity, yet she’s a 72-year old man’s heartbeat away from the presidency of the most powerful nation and army on the planet? It doesn’t make sense and I think is the number 1 reason why NOT to elect John McCain.

(by the way, if there is any wrong information here I’ll gladly correct it.)

One of the main arguments against Barack Obama for President is that McCain has more experience, or rather, Obama does not have enough experience.

My favorite rebuttal against that is this: Look where experience has gotten us so far.

My question to you is does this work? My (admittedly naive) view on it is that the government has been filled with old, white men for so long that we need an injection of youth with a background that is a little farther off the norm of a privileged upbringing (not that Obama was not privilaged, but perhaps less so.) Maybe McCain is a “maverick” (def. One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter - dictionary.com) but on (my personal most significant) issues like the war, abortion (repeal Roe v. Wade? is that considered maverick?), gay rights, stem cell research and health care, McCain seems right in line with the rest of the old, white guys.

My friend Derick sent me this USA Today quiz for picking your presidential candidate based on the issues. Thanks, DJ!

I had originally sent out this quiz to a few friends and family before. (Though it may be outdated as it says last updated in August 2007)

I want more! I don’t trust any one quiz and these things really help not only in picking a candidate, but seeing how they’re positions on the issues are represented by multiple media outlets as well. Seen a good one? Let’s have at it!