All we have heard out of Sarah Palin since her introduction to the American people eight days ago is the same speech. We have heard how she is a hockey mom and raised five great kids, including one with Downs Syndrome. What we haven’t heard is anything about her beliefs or vision in this country. Even her campaign speech is a truncated version of the speech she gave on Wednesday night and last Friday.
Just because she has raised five kids doesn’t make her ready to be President. If that were the caliper we measured with then my great grandmother should have been President, since she raised 15 kids in a three bedroom farm house in the foot hills of Appalachia. And I at least knew where she stood on the issues.
I know a lot on the right are also going after the “morbid” questions we are raising on the left about Palin’s readiness and McCain’s age and health. There is nothing morbid at all about it. John McCain is a 72 year old man getting trying to enter the most stressful job in the world. He is also a 72 year old man lacking a good medical history. Something as simple as a stroke can catapult Palin into the top job. Look at Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. She was a perfectly healthy woman in her 50s and then one day died. It happens, so raising questions about Palin’s fitness to command is very appropriate.
The only way we are going to get to know Sarah is if she is put out there to be interviewed and questioned by the fourth estate. She didn’t have to accept McCain’s offer to be his running mate. I am sure she knew what it would entail on the campaign trail, so she was willing to be thrown into the lion’s den. Now she has to accept that decision and let the American people get to know her – the real her.