A Lost Opportunity

I've struggled with a growing sense of unease about John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate and wondered why. It was more than my disagreement with her position on the environment and it was more than my knee-jerk reaction to her photo on the cover of Newsweek with a gun draped over her shoulder. It wasn't until I sat in church last week, listening to a sermon on Micah 6:8, that the light bulb went on. Sarah Palin, a self-proclaimed Christian, lacks the humility that the Scriptures and Jesus, Himself, embody. I recognize that most politicians have to be self-promoting to some degree, but her description of herself as a pit bull (with lipstick...) and her nasty attacks on Barack Obama's character lack the grace and dignity that I, as a Christian woman, would expect from a sister in Christ. Think about it. Micah 6:8 says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." The New Testament is showered with calls to control our tongues and not to allow unwholesome speech from our mouths. What a shame that Ms. Palin has succumbed to the most negative pull of politics. While it's unlikely she would have persuaded me to vote differently, she has certainly lost my respect.

Sarah Palin Not Qualified to be VP

It is assumed that “real” Christian women will support Sarah Palin and John McCain because of her strong stance against abortion and support of the “culture of life”. But shouldn’t this “culture of life” extend to all human life? What of the thousands killed each year in America’s cities due to gun violence? But Palin, a life-long member of the NRA, will not even consider limiting access to guns of any kind. What can Mrs. Palin, a political neophyte governing a state (population of 670,000) with no large urban centers and none of the diversity that marks the rest of the United States, know of urban issues?

The women of faith that I know desire America to be a strong nation, but not one that seeks to be the aggressor and takes false pride in tough talk. Diplomacy and depth of knowledge of foreign affairs must be the hallmarks of the next presidential administration. How can John McCain think that Sarah Palin is ready to be commander in chief should he be unable to complete his full term in office if elected when she has no foreign policy experience?

Sarah Palin's choice as VP is simply a political stunt and solely aimed at pandering to John McCain's conservative Christian base and some simple-minded effort to secure the women's vote. By picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has just made a mockery of this presidential election and as an American voter I am outraged!

It has been said that the first test of presidential judgment is the candidate's selection of a running mate. John McCain has made his choice and he has failed the test.