08 November 2008

The End of the Affair

Despite all appearances to the contrary, it really is not the case that this little blog is of no interest to me. It's just that between a full-time job, a second full-time job (namely, trying to get a better full-time job) a part-time job helping out with a local political campaign, and obligations to a loving wife and an extended family, there simply is not the sort of time left over to make regular, substantial comments on a forum like this. So I will come out and say that is probably the last post I will make here. Maybe if some basic life-circumstances change, I will give this another try.

***Anyway, now that the votes have been cast and the outcome is final, I'd like to say how pleased I was with the way Sarah Palin has carried herself these last 10 weeks or so. I consider myself to be quite familiar with American politics of the last 50 years, and I can honestly say that if a candidate's minor-aged children have ever been targeted by the media/opposition before now, I am unaware of it. Certainly not in the way that the Palin children were targeted this year. If you had asked me 3 months ago, I would have said that my loathing and contempt for the media could not be increased. How naive I was!

I can scarcely imagine the sort of anguish these attacks have stirred up within the Palin family. But at least outwardly, they seem to have found the strength they need to get through it all. I pray that outer appearance is reflective of the inner reality.

***But that is not to say that Sarah Palin was the best choice -- or even a good choice -- for John McCain as his VP-running-mate. Palin's relevant experience for the job amounted to about 22 months as the Governor of one of our smallest (by population) states. And the most geographically-remote state, as well. Compared to the credentials of most other VPs in the recent past, Palin's were wafer-thin. Almost as thin as Barack Obama's.

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