Just when you think the average low information voter might catch on that Sarah Palin is not a good candidate for VPOTUS ....
I have been mentoring a young woman about once a week. She is 28, a high school math teacher, married to a high school band instructor with two children 4 and 2. She is intelligent, reasonable, involved in her community and church. I live in a VERY RED state (Kansas) and so am always cautious when talking politics (assume they are Republican). However, this woman has said so many things throughout the last months (worried about their health care coverage, teachers salaries, now thinks the war in Iraq is a bad idea, etc.) that I thought maybe I had a chance of talking her into at least considering Barack Obama for POTUS. I have dropped several pro-Obama lines when she would talk about health care, etc. She seemed open to his ideas and knows I'm a big supporter.
So, today we are having our weekly get-together and Sarah Palin's name comes up.
"I like her." says my young friend. "I got a Sarah Palin T-shirt. It's cute."
I try not to gasp (after all I had just come from my computer reading up on the Daily KOS about all the hate-mongering that Palin has been perpetuating the last few days). "Why?" I try to ask casually, non-judgmentally.
"She has lots of spunk and she's a woman. I'm proud to see a woman running for VPOTUS." With a happy smile she says, "Didn't you watch the VP debate? She has lots of energy."
Once again I'm trying not to show my alarm. So I say, "Well, I don't think Spunk is what we need right. Her idea of diplomacy is bombing. I think we need more serious and thoughtful leadership right now."
"But she's a woman? Aren't you happy to have a woman on a presidential ticket?"
"Not that woman." I say. But I'm getting so upset at the way she is judging what makes a good VP, that I realize we have to quit talking about this. My purpose in meeting with her is not political and this topic is not going to help. So, I change the subject and we go on.
I manage to hold down the upset about this until I get home. Writing to you, Daily KOS, is my therapy so I don't go CRAZY. WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO WE LIVE IN THAT LOW-INFORMATION VOTERS ARE PICKING THEIR CANDIDATE BY THEIR SPUNKINESS. None of the negatives have penetrated this woman's world. (She didn't seem to know what I meant when I said: You didn't think it was lame that Palin's saying seeing Russia from her house was her idea of foreign policy experience.) I will say that none of the negatives about Barack Obama have penetrated her world either. She wouldn't have a clue about Ayers or Wright and she is bright enough to disregard the "antichrist" emails that make the rounds here regularly.
What makes me want to bang my head on the wall is hearing my friend and others like her express concern after concern about the economy, health care, etc. -- issues that they admit they agree with Obama. My friend even said that her father, (who recently lost his job-related health care) would at least under an Obama plan, still have health care. But she's a Palin supporter because she's spunky. Oh, please.
She is going to watch the debate tonight -- so maybe Barack can convince her. We'll see ... it feels pretty hopeless right now.