Running mate choice creates diversion

Pam Chalkley, Henderson

Friday, Sept. 12, 2008 | 2:03 a.m.

If there is one thing John McCain has succeeded in doing by selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate, it is diverting attention from the real issues in this presidential election. That may well have been part of his intent all along, and he is to be congratulated on his masterful orchestration and manipulation of the media and the voting public.

There is no doubt Gov. Palin is an accomplished politician — she was aptly introduced to the Republican National Convention with the song “Barracuda” by Heart. She is an expert at procuring federal earmarks for her tiny town (no reformer there) and leaving it in debt for the first time ever (champion of change) despite having an influx of $27 million from the federal government.

Regardless of this, she is not the presidential candidate, nor does her record as mayor or governor have anything to do with the state of our nation, with troops in Iraq, with disabled veterans with inadequate health care (for which McCain has repeatedly voted against increasing funding), with the education of our children, the mortgage crisis, the price of oil and gasoline, or an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent.

I, for one, have had enough of politics in Washington. I am ready for leadership and responsibility. I am ready for a substantive discussion about how our nation is going to recover from the ills inflicted upon us by the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress who voted with George Bush — and that includes McCain.