In discussions about the McCain campaign, we need to focus on McCain and the questions raised by his chosing someone obviously unqualified rather than continuing to prove and discuss Palin's lack of qualifications.
All the focus on Palin’s record, or rather her lack of one, her lack of experience, her lack of truthfulness and transparency – the list goes on –simply plays into McCain’s plan to deflect the attention from him and the problems with his plans and his lock-step with Bush. By having us chase after a phantasm from Alaska and trying to disprove the projected image, McCain has avoided tough questions for several weeks. Enough!
We need to take it for granted that Palin is indisputably unqualified and unacceptable. Simply acknowledge it as a preface to conversations about the real issue: McCain. Let the Republican campaign spin its wheels trying to disprove this truth. Instead of the discussions being about Palin, we need to focus continually on the serious questions raised by McCain’s choosing her.
Selecting a vice president is the first time the voters get to see an example of the type of person the "president" will surround himself with. Who will McCain choose to be his advisors, policy makers and federal jduges and Supreme Court justices? By choosing Palin, Democrats could reasonably argue: that he will select a small-town sheriff to be Secretary of State ("he has all the experience and small town values needed to promote this country’s ideals"); choose an ROTC instructor from a small private high school to be Secretary of Defense ("he has personally led thousands of dedicated young men and women to ethical behavior, moral standards, and leadership goals"); appoint a district attorney from a town of 7,000 to be Attorney General; appoint a justice of the peace from to be Supreme Court Justice...the list goes on.
My suggested comments would be: What was he thinking? The choice of Palin [note the assumption of lack of qualifications] raises serious doubts about McCain’s own competence and wisdom. His choice of Palin as vice president was either made solely to get votes, or because he really believes there is substance behind the hologram. Either way, McCain has placed this country in jeopardy. Voters need to support Senator Obama not because Palin is a buffoon (a given), but because McCain believes she is qualified.