I was thinking about why Mccain chose Sara Palin to be his running mate. First, i thought, like most of us believe, he didn't pick her. She was chosen for him.
Why?
She obviously does not have the proper experience to be VP, let alone POTUS. Beyond the experience issue, she doesn't even possess basic understanding of, or even the desire to learn, the constitution or American history, geography, etc.
But her selection does speak volumes about today's conservative movement.
it all has to do with the systematic dumbing down of our country. it's the encouragement of ignorance combined with criticizing of intelligent thought that fuels the conservative ideology. and no one in politics today better embodies that very ideology than Sarah Palin.
Just when we thought the conservative movement couldn't produce a standard of leader as inept as W., Palin is unleashed upon the country. In Palin, we have a conservative with less intellectual curiosity than even Bush. Thus, setting the bar even lower for what a national political leader should be.
in this setting, the selection of Palin makes perect sense. The standards they have set for qualifications for our nation's highest office now include any mayor in the country, any governor or, hell, even any PTA member. Any level of intelligent thought, experience, depth of understanding, or any level of knowledge about anything, now, apparently, qualifies one to be POTUS. Who would have thought?
Which is why it shouldn't surprise anyone that she is their new superstar. The greater an intellectual disaster a candidate is, the more beloved they will be for the rabid conservative base.
Fortunately, intelligent conservatives do exist and are rightly appalled at the selection of Palin. They may actively and vocally resist any form of liberalism but at least they understand that to be VP (potentially POTUS) requires much more than reading empty rhetoric off a teleprompter once a day.
What scares me is how many people in this country actually rally around such a vapid human being.
When conservatives attempt to defend the choice of Palin (like Ari Fleischer on The Daily Show last night) it almost always includes something about her attractive appearance. Seriously. They say she has executive experience, that she's an energy expert and that she's attractive (or hot, or sexy or...)
Seriously, this is scary.
Conservatives are setting the bar embarassingly low and as long as they can drag at least 51 percent of the country along with them, they believe than can continue to maintain power. Lower education standards, wage a war against art and culture, feed them mind numbing TV programs, set a beer in their hand and you have your conservative base.
Let's hope that the current poll numbers are accurate and that a majority of the country understands the need for a real leader with true intelligence, understanding and compassion. Let's hope that this conservative dumbing down of America gets loudly rejected and dimissed forever. Let's hope the intelligent conservatives continue stand up to this and convince their leadership that this direction is not only insulting but extraordinarily dangerous. On Nov. 4, let's hope for Hope.