The Candidates

"Enough!" That's what Barack Obama said last night to eight years of Republican rule. He said what needed to be said and accepted the nomination with gratitude and humiliation. I'm happy, proud, and relieved that's he's the Democratic candidate.

Of course, as you know, Obama has picked Joe Biden as his VP. Biden's electoral history goes back 38 years. Obama made a wise choice based on experience and governance.

Then today we get the news of John McCain's VP choice: Sarah Palin. What I've learned about her so far is that she is the governor of Alaska (elected a mere 20 months ago), a "hockey mom," a social conservative, has almost no foreign policy experience, and doesn't even know what the Vice President does. I haven't even written a punchline, and I'm laughing already.

Of course everybody will be contrasting these two VP choices, but I only have a few comments.

McCain did not make a wise choice. He made a very cynical and political choice. He's fishing for the angry PUMAs (Party Unity My Ass). Those are the bitter Clinton supporters who refuse to back Barack Obama and will instead, for some stupid reason, back McCain who is ideologically opposite of Hillary Clinton.

But I truly believe this group is a fraud. They are a handful of angry Clinton supporters being lead around by a bunch of Republicans. So if McCain wants to gamble on winning over a group of Democratic voters that are actually Republicans pretending to be Democrats, then he is sadly gullible.

And furthermore, wasn't McCain calling Obama inexperienced? Obama has served 8 years in the Illinois State Senate and 4 years in the U.S. Senate. Palin has been governor of Alaska for less than 2 years. These facts undermine the inexperienced argument. And remember the last time a governor became President? Bush!

Oh that brings me to Palin's innocent question about what the VP does. Traditionally, the VP is supposed to sit around and be prepared to be the most powerful leader on earth! You know, in case McCain keels over.

Anyway, the candidates are all lined up now. We know who's running for President and who they've picked for Vice President. We'll hear many debates of change versus experience, but in the end I always vote for whoever believes what I believe.