The Land of Stinkin’
I’ve already stated my choice for president in this U.S. election: John McCain. I still doubt that he’ll win, and there are things about him that I question, but I hope he will win. His chances rose immeasurably, in my view, when he surprised a lot of people by choosing Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin, as his running mate. Honestly, before this I found it hard to be excited about the campaign. Now, I am very excited. Of course, this decision is not without significant risks and downsides. But I can’t help admire the fact that McCain keeps surprising people and keeps on going when many pundits have written him off several times. Whether you are a diehard Democrat or a rabid Republican, one thing you can agree on this year: the election just got a whole lot more interesting.
I’ve enjoyed reading various reactions to this news over the past 24 hours. Here is one of my favorite quotes, taken from a comment made on an editorial by the Chicago Tribune:
“I find it amazing that Palin’s resume is called thin and yet the same term isn’t used to explain Barack Obama’s. Palin is a genuine, straight talking governor who isn’t a mystery to her constituents on where she stands on policy, without Clintonian double-talk that Obama has taken to new levels. Unlike Obama, she can back up her credentials as a reformer. When confronting the corrupt good old boy network in Alaska she lays claim as a dragonslayer.
Barack Obama? He danced with the dragons of the Chicago-Cook-Illinois Combine all along the way. Ever hear of Tony Rezko, Mayor Daley, the Strogers, and so forth? Where was the battle that Barack fought in the name of reform and clean government? All you see is indictments, convictions, campaign contributions, and a lot of sweet talk that dismisses the rampant corruption that pervades in the Land of Stinkin’.”
