Here is what Barack Obama said last night:
It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.
What did McCain do the very next day? He announced Sarah Palin was going to be his running mate. McCain thinks that the job of the Vice President is to elect the ticket, hoping that Palin's gender will appeal to identity politics. However, the Vice President has an important job--provide stability by being ready to take over in a moment's notice. McCain doesn't get it.
To further remind you of what you heard last night, here is a more complete characterization of McCain:
And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.
Here is a debate I am looking forward to even more now than before. If McCain is going to debate about who is ready to serve as Commander-in-Chief, he is going to have to explain how Palin is ready to serve. How is he going to do that?
On the down side, one part of Obama's speech now seems to have missed the mark:
So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.
When you put your country first, you prepare for emergencies. I have a wife and three young kids, so I have life insurance. If I pass away, it will be difficult for my family, but they will have enough money to eat and make mortgage payments. I know that many people are in financial situations where they cannot afford life insurance for their families, but I can't imagine going without it. I would feel like less of a father. I pay for life insurance even though I am only forty and have no serious health problems.
McCain, however, is not preparing the country for a potential emergency. If he is elected and then passes away, we will be led by somebody who is unqualified and unproven. Twenty months as Governor of Alaska does not cut it. A great country deserves great leaders--not only has McCain contributed to the election of the current unqualified leader, but he is now putting us at risk of having another one in the future. People who love their country don't do this. Obama would never say such a thing, probably because he has more class than I do, but the truth needs to be said. Certainly, if Obama selected a running mate unqualified to lead our country, McCain and the Republicans would not hesitate to point it out.
One more quote from Obama:
But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.
We now have another reason to question McCain's judgment. What does it say about your judgment when you think that George Bush is right more than ninety percent of the time and you think that Sarah Palin should be our next Vice President?
It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.