With Sarah Palin AWOL this Sunday, the Dem talking heads have a unique opportunity to set the agenda for when she actually does speak. The talking points should not be not just "Why isn't she here?" but, more important, "What questions is she avoiding and must be asked?"
Let's get to the most important questions for Sarah Palin first. Sarah Palin is a reflection upon John McCain, so those questions that are a reflection upon McCain are the most important.
1. Talking Point: Reform
a. Disarm "Victim Status"
I know there's been a lot said by the McCain campaign that the Democrats have attacked Govenor Palin, but they have been unable to, as far as I know quote any known Democrat or any reputable media paper or organization as originating or repeating these attacks, unless when the McCain campaign says "media" or "a known Democrat" they mean "The National Enquierer" or someone like the Drudge Report.
b. Issue Challenge 1
What I'd like to know about the McCain choice is this: They campaign on the reform agenda. Ok, that's fine to say that, even though McCain comes on these shows every Sunday morning for the past eight years as the Bush administration's standard bearer in Congress. [Prepared Rebuttal: If you want to assert that McCain was not Bush's standard bearer, I'll come on next week and you show me the "maverick" video. You bring it, and I'll be prepared.]
[The Challenge] They say they're Reformers: ok, so prove it: When Palin was in the "executive position" in Wasalia she went out hunting for earmarks. Now, she may just be the "Queen of Earmarks" in all of the United States. In 2002, she had a per capita earmark funding of $1,000--that's $1,000 per person.
So here's Challenge number 1 for reporters: Find me people in Congress who brought home more than $1,000 per constituent in earmarks from the federal government in 2002. Maybe all the other well qualified Republican congresswomen brought home more than $1,000 per constituent in 2002, and that's why they were not chosen.
But John McCain says she's a reformer. So, you bring me 80% of Congress who brought home more than reformer Sarah Palin did. Or bring me 50%, or 10%, or just 1%.
I'd be surprised if it's 1% of all Congress who brought home more than $1,000 per constituent in earmarks in 2002. But even if she were better than only 50% of Congress, you've got a problem with a "spending reformer" whose only better than half of Congress. I suspect that she's much worse than that.
1. Talking Point: Vetting to be the Next President
a. Disarm the "She could be Me" Objectors
I appreciate the sentiment of people who are going to vote for John McCain because his choice of anyone in the world who should be President, except for him, was Sarah Palin. But, I don't view McCain's choice "as who's like me, an average Joe or Jane," but who's the most qualified to be President, a way above average Joe or Jane. This was the choice: besides yourself, who is most qualified to be the most powerful person in the world. And let me express some humility, I don't want someone in charge whose like me I want someone whose better than me. This is not let's choose someone better than Steve Jobs or Bill Gates to lead the technology revolution; this is not let's choose the successor to the richest man in the America, Waren Buffet; the question is who, besides you might face down the next Cuban Missile Crisis--nuclear arrmargendon or the end or the world.
Let's not even talk about who can face down a gaggle of reporters or Meet the Press a week after being chosen. John McCain made the wrong judgment on Iraq and the wrong judgment on who, the next person besides him, can face down Russia or the next big crisis. That's not a person we want to be President.
b. Issue Challenge 2: John McCain and the McCain campaign has stated that the Sarah Palin can face down Russia's Putin becuase Alaska is next to Russia. Apparently, this makes all government officials in the New York Region experts on terrorism, and although McCain hasn't offered a bill that qualifies all government officials within a radius of 9-11 as terrorism experts, I'm sure he'll offer it during this campaign.
However, since McCain has offered up this as her policy expertise, Govenor Palin should feel comfortable discussing foreign affairs with her colleagues in Russian foreign policy. Since this is her foreign policy specialty, we should allow her to shine by testing her with a non-partisan panel of Russian experts chosen 1/2 by Democrats and 1/2 by Republicans, or by a non-political institue or publication, and we should allow her to shine, as soon as possible. Because Sarah Palin needs to establish her creditials as a Russian expert, at the very least. So, when she meets reporters, she should at the very least meet some non-partisan Russian experts. Perhaps, some China experts or foreign reporter questions from China as well, since Alaska is close to China too.
Or simply, let's get a secretary of State from the Clinton administration on and a representative from the Bush administration on, one from Carter, one from Regan and test her on her strong suit, since we know nothing about her.
To put in Alaskan terms, we may be electing a likable person--but I suspect she's someone hunting bear with a .38. And that's a risk America is taking, not just a likable hunter.