Print ArticleAs a European blow-in watching the American election process, I am dizzy from mind boggling, fact spinning, truth twisting, conflicting news about the candidates and their alleged policies. Never mind the length of the process and the money that is spent on their individual campaigns.
Palin, McCainīs surprise pick, steps out of the middle of nowhere into the limelight of the Republican convention. In a pit-bull attack dog fashion, she accuses Obama of flawed decisions, claims facts that can easily be repudiated. She degrades and berates Obamaīs record and experience while the rest of the party − hungry for a female candidate to counterbalance the excitement Obama has created, and to pick up disappointed Clinton voters− rallies around her like mindless sheep extolling her alleged virtues.
What little is known about Palin, makes clear that the only thing she shares with Hilary Clinton is a chromosome. She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. Her function on the ticket is to consolidate the pro-life evangelical base around McCain that was clearly not enchanted with this choice for nominee.
Palin who opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools said she will only support abstinence-only approaches; a policy that clearly hasnīt worked in her own family. McCain and Palin want us to leave their families alone. Yet they want to make rules for our families by eliminating our right to make our own choices over abortion, eliminate our access to family planning, education or domestic partner benefits, and our freedom from discrimination.
The mainstream media need to tell the nation a few facts about who they are going to vote on:
Out of either ignorance or denial, Palin doesnīt believe climate change to be manmade and a problem. Palin who didnīt back McCain in the primary, vetoed wind power and clean coal projects, including a 50-megawatt wind farm on Fire Island.
They need to publicize that as mayor, Palin in an attempt at censorship tried to ban books from the library and threatened to fire the librarian when she refused to do so. Big Brother is watching you.
The investigation about Palinīs role in the firing of the stateīs public safety director, who had reportedly refused to sack Palinīs estranged former brother-in-law is still ongoing. The Alaska state legislature allocated $100,000 for this investigation. The results are expected by the end of October, dare we hope in time before the election?
Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party until six months ago who advocate for a vote on secession from the union.
Her innocent question as to what a VP exactly does from day to day may have been cute. Her lacking views on the war which she sees as Godīs task is outright frightening.
The McCain campaign McCain's campaign has praised her as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax.
She became a flip-flopper with her inaugurations as governor. First she did support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it).
Together McCain and Palin oppose giving the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans the same access to affordable health care that they both enjoy− paid for by the government. This is diametrically opposed to Clintonīs health care plans as the climate in Alaska is to Floridaīs.
Neither will stand up to Big Oil interests. In their energy policy, both are still in support of millions of dollars in tax breaks to oil companies to do more drilling and he has opposed every piece of federal legislation to explore alternative fuel sources. Both have close ties to the oil industry: According to a Campaign Money Watch analysis of campaign finance data provided by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics Center, John McCain has accepted over $1,000,000 from the oil and gas industry, at least 22 top McCain advisers and fundraisers have lobbied for Big Oil. Palinīs inauguration was even sponsored by BP.
With her arrival on the ticket, however, voters will find it easier to make up their minds about the two opposing candidates and policy choices; not only the ones (13%?) that still claim to be undecided. Now is the time for all good women and men to come to the rescue of the election: humanists, secularists, pro-choice, democratically minded Americans, and patriotic voters. It wonīt just be Republicans in retrograde. What we are getting otherwise with a McCain/Palin government wonīt be more of George Bushīs same− but years of something much worse.
Palin, McCainīs surprise pick, steps out of the middle of nowhere into the limelight of the Republican convention. In a pit-bull attack dog fashion, she accuses Obama of flawed decisions, claims facts that can easily be repudiated. She degrades and berates Obamaīs record and experience while the rest of the party − hungry for a female candidate to counterbalance the excitement Obama has created, and to pick up disappointed Clinton voters− rallies around her like mindless sheep extolling her alleged virtues.
What little is known about Palin, makes clear that the only thing she shares with Hilary Clinton is a chromosome. She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. Her function on the ticket is to consolidate the pro-life evangelical base around McCain that was clearly not enchanted with this choice for nominee.
Palin who opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools said she will only support abstinence-only approaches; a policy that clearly hasnīt worked in her own family. McCain and Palin want us to leave their families alone. Yet they want to make rules for our families by eliminating our right to make our own choices over abortion, eliminate our access to family planning, education or domestic partner benefits, and our freedom from discrimination.
The mainstream media need to tell the nation a few facts about who they are going to vote on:
Out of either ignorance or denial, Palin doesnīt believe climate change to be manmade and a problem. Palin who didnīt back McCain in the primary, vetoed wind power and clean coal projects, including a 50-megawatt wind farm on Fire Island.
They need to publicize that as mayor, Palin in an attempt at censorship tried to ban books from the library and threatened to fire the librarian when she refused to do so. Big Brother is watching you.
The investigation about Palinīs role in the firing of the stateīs public safety director, who had reportedly refused to sack Palinīs estranged former brother-in-law is still ongoing. The Alaska state legislature allocated $100,000 for this investigation. The results are expected by the end of October, dare we hope in time before the election?
Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party until six months ago who advocate for a vote on secession from the union.
Her innocent question as to what a VP exactly does from day to day may have been cute. Her lacking views on the war which she sees as Godīs task is outright frightening.
The McCain campaign McCain's campaign has praised her as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax.
She became a flip-flopper with her inaugurations as governor. First she did support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it).
Together McCain and Palin oppose giving the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans the same access to affordable health care that they both enjoy− paid for by the government. This is diametrically opposed to Clintonīs health care plans as the climate in Alaska is to Floridaīs.
Neither will stand up to Big Oil interests. In their energy policy, both are still in support of millions of dollars in tax breaks to oil companies to do more drilling and he has opposed every piece of federal legislation to explore alternative fuel sources. Both have close ties to the oil industry: According to a Campaign Money Watch analysis of campaign finance data provided by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics Center, John McCain has accepted over $1,000,000 from the oil and gas industry, at least 22 top McCain advisers and fundraisers have lobbied for Big Oil. Palinīs inauguration was even sponsored by BP.
With her arrival on the ticket, however, voters will find it easier to make up their minds about the two opposing candidates and policy choices; not only the ones (13%?) that still claim to be undecided. Now is the time for all good women and men to come to the rescue of the election: humanists, secularists, pro-choice, democratically minded Americans, and patriotic voters. It wonīt just be Republicans in retrograde. What we are getting otherwise with a McCain/Palin government wonīt be more of George Bushīs same− but years of something much worse.
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