As any communications professional worth their salt would have advised, John McCain has timed his VP announcement to move buzz away from the successful Democratic National Convention. And my is that buzz loud. Senator McCain has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Governor Palin becomes only the second woman to be on the ticket for a presidential election. Shrewd move? Maybe. Definitely ballsy. The next two months will definitely be interesting.
With his selection, McCain is wooing female democrats - some of whom are still stinging from perceived mistreatment of Hillary Clinton - as well as the Republican Party's most conservative members who have been slow to warm up to his campaign. I'm no political strategist, but I don't see how those two goals can be met with the same person. I cannot imagine that Hillary supporters (even the P.U.M.A.s) will, en masse, shift their support behind a pro-life, pro-gun candidate with 20 months of experience on the state level. I want to give women more credit than that.
Is it more important for us to get a woman into the White House than it is for us to elect a candidate that addresses the issues that matter to us and make differences for our families? I didn't vote for Hillary in the primaries, but I would have gladly voted for her in November if she had won the democratic nomination. I would have been a proud participant in an historical moment, AND gotten a candidate that holds my values and addresses my concerns. Those values and concerns are not met by Sarah Palin.
Governor Palin is no Senator Clinton. In the upcoming days, I am sure that will become increasingly evident.
Great commentary here! Its good to get such an open perspective from an obviously educated, young black professional, who has clearly done her research.
ReplyDeleteMany women and "black" people in/out side USA seem to be a bit uncertain and untrusting of the political landscape at this time. They feel like pawns in a political race that stops at nothing to win votes.
The question that bothers most is whether the moves to include both sets in powerful party positions are genuine or just strategic political moves.
Has the glass ceiling been truly broken? Has Dr Martin Luther King's dream been realised?
Many are coiled, waiting to celebrate. Others fear that Obama's overambitiousness will soon come to a crashing end.
Where does your silent readers stand on these issues? I hope to see comments from more of them. We need to make our voices heard in whatever forums are available. How else will those trying to shape our future know what mold to start with?
Your assessment of the "DASH"... is right on the money. Once departed hardly anyone will remember the date of birth or death; but, everyone (or atleast someone)will remember the life you live - it's about the hands we held, the hearts we warmed, the love we showed, the time we gave, the joy we brought, and the difference we made. It's about our listening, our caring, our sharing, our loving....it's about seeing the good in others, forgiving ourselves so we can move on, being the change we wish to see, doing what others refuse to, doing it because it's right, doing it even though there is no compensation; call be a idealist, call me philosophical; but in the end "...the joy of living comes from giving"; the "...best way to find oneself is to lose oneself in the service of others; and, "...to whom much is given much is required"; you see in the end the "DASH" supports the whole notion of "...making a live not just making a living"
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