My Initial Reaction to VP Pick Sarah Palin

I admire McCain for the curve ball he's thrown into the election. After all, he's a maverick.

My initial reaction to Sarah Palin as the potential Vice President to the oldest inaugurated President in hisory is...

...[drum roll]...

Well, to be honest, I got nothing.

Sorry about the suspense and all, but really, how can I form an opinion about someone who is absolutely unknown?

I'll make a few points about the issues so far:

1. McCain's VP is extremely important to his candidacy. His father and both grandfathers were dead by the time they were 72, which is the birthday McCain just celebrated. He has a malignancy that may recur at any time.

2. We can compare the [lack of] experience between Palin and Obama and some may conclude that neither have very extensive foreign policy chops. I'll accept that, but I have heard Obama speak over and over about the way he would govern, I have seen him run a stellar national campaign for the last 18 months, he has surrounded himself with top-notch advisers. I'm confident in his educational background and his tenor.

3. I do not accept that being governor of a state with the same population as Kent County Michigan gives her any type of valuable experience as "Commander in Chief" of the Alaska Guard, as she has proposed. Please.

4. I can fill pages on what I do not know about Sarah Palin. What are her exact views on social programs, health care, abortion laws versus personal choice, education, the environment, role of the military in the world, etc, etc.

5. I do know that the authoritarian pro-life people are overjoyed with Palin even though they know nothing more than I do about the manner in which she would govern on a whole host of important issues. These one-issue voters are dangerous because they have shown in the past that they are willing to elect any random fool as long as he or she recites the proper mantra.

My initial reaction to Sarah Palin is... nothing. She seems nice, is easier on the eyes than Joe Biden, and is passionate about Alaska. But can she be president? We have 9 weeks to form an opinion, so stay tuned.