Follow-up: Sarah Palin really knocked it out of the park with her speech at the RNC Wednesday evening. Even the opposition conceded that she came of very well. I liked her joke about the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom: lipstick. I did not watch the entire speech but have seen some excerpts. She looked great and came off as smart, funny, and tough. The speech was a little mean-spirited at times, but that's kind of the role of the VP candidate - to be the "attack dog" so the presidential candidate can look noble and dignified. But - there's a big difference between giving a speech at the party convention, where one can "get a standing ovation if he got up there and burped the alphabet" (to quote my husband)", and managing the campaign trail, with its minefields of hostile reporters and tough questions. There's so much opportunity to mess up - I think her lack of experience could hurt her there. And I still don't like her willingness to exploit her kids for her image. "I can't wait to send my son off to Iraq to get shot at! Look at my mentally handicapped baby! And here's my husband what's-his-name!"
But my favorite moment was little Piper Palin, who looks about eight, "grooming" her baby brother by licking her hand and smoothing it across his head.
The media has been surprisingly gentle to Bristol and her boyfriend, and I am very pleased by Obama's refusal to capitalize on the situation. He made an offhand comment that his mother had him when she was 18 and he turned out okay.
I have noticed that Barack Obama seems to be a really decent guy. He has consistently refused to sling mud or say nasty things to or about people. When the Reverend Wright thing (nutty preacher claiming the US government created AIDS to "keep down" black people and other absurd things) broke, he said that this guy had been his pastor for many years, had married him and his wife and baptized his children, and he wasn't going to throw him under the bus. Then, unfortunately, the Reverend used his media attention to say a bunch more nutty things and Obama had to cut ties.
I'm really torn about Obama - I don't agree with a lot of his views and I don't trust his background as a "community organizer" and lack of experience in either a "real world" profession or the political arena. I think he's a lot more liberal than he's presented himself to be in this campaign. But I like the guy and I think he's someone around whom America - and the rest of the world - could really come together.
So we'll just see what happens next.
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I love that you are blogging again! You are my political pundit for this year. Haha. You'll have to keep filling me in on the US pov. Everyone here seems very interested in the US election and this week Palin. I did read an article recently that quoted Palin's call to parents with disabled children basically saying if elected we would have an advocate in the white house. Nice. Let's play the guilt card on parents like me. I have a disabled child so but of course I must vote for you. A vote for Palin is a vote for your child. Ugh. Whatever. Why play that card?? Anyway this election should be interesting. I can't wait to get real internet so I can watch these speeches online.
Miss you!!
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