Sarah Palin

Five days ago John McCain chose Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, to be his running mate. Interestingly enough, he made the decision six days ago. Most presidential nominees take lots of time, consider their options, and select their VP candidate with great measure. Not John McCain. Dude follows his gut (sounds like our current president).

Apparently he was going to choose former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge or former Democrat Joe Liebermann... until he got the memo that the crazy right wingers in his party would abandon him if he chose a pro-choice running mate. So what did he do? He chose Sarah Palin, someone he'd met twice and Googled the night before. Rather than making a well thought out decision, McCain made a rash decision based on flawed information. Sound familiar? Do Americans want another person who makes decisions just like Bush?

As a result of not putting Palin through a rigorous vetting process, McCain selected a running mate with a colorful history. Enjoy:

1. She recently hired lawyers (with government money no less) because she is under investigation for corruption. Apparently Palin fired Alaska's chief of police because he wouldn't fire the man her sister was divorcing. Stay classy.
2. As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired lobbyists to secure federal earmarks to the tune of $25 million... the exact earmarks John McCain bashes in his stump speech.
3. Palin is an extremist when it comes to a woman's right to choose, gay rights, and guns. This isn't middle of the road Republican stuff, we're talking waaaaaaaaaaaaay crazy. Examples: She believes abortion is wrong even in cases of rape and incest. Also, in 2000 she supported Pat Buchanan for President (Google him or take my word that he's crazy). Interestingly enough, she supported Buchanan over McCain in that election.
   
4. She was affiliated with the Alaskan Independence Party whose primary goal is to get Alaska to secede from the United States. That doesn't exactly jibe with McCain's campaign slogan of "Country First."
5. She's the anti-environment candidate. She wants to drill offshore, drill in ANWR, drill here, drill there, drill everywhere! She also doesn't believe humans are contributing to climate change. Another one of thoooooose.
   

I'll stop there. Feel free to add more in comments.

What really strikes me is this: McCain had more than a few months to find the single best person in the United States to be "a heartbeat away from the presidency" and he waited until the last minute to choose Sarah Palin. He treated it like a 7th grader would his homework. Plus, assuming he wanted to select a woman, what about Christine Todd Whitman, Susan Collins, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, or Condoleezza Rice, all in possession of vastly more impressive skills.

This selection is weird on so many levels.