Republican gimmicks.

Sitting in an incredibly posh, hypermodern hotel room this last day in Ville de Québec.  Thanks to AAA and due to fact that this place is 10 minutes from Vieux-Québec, spiffy place and superb price 🙂  The tub is a jacuzzi complete with bubble bath set and mirror that doubles as a TV.  Cushier linens I have never beheld.

Back to Republican gimmicks.  John McCain disappoints me, as I mentioned this morning.  I question his decision-making, which, for me, is among the most important factors.  What, I ask, are the chances that this senator in his twenty-second year of office will heed the counsel of a state-level public official who has served for less than two years?  And honestly, I’m not sure whether I want him to heed her counsel any time soon.  She will be incredibly out of her element for awhile.  State office is entirely different from federal.  Imagine her in a national security situation the first year of office.

It’s true that George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were governors when elected.  But they had a coterie of well-qualified advisors and experienced VPs.  And there’s no way for the president-elect to by bypassed.  This seems like a pretty tenuous argument.  What?  Inexperienced governor for president is preferable to inexperienced governor for VP?  They serve different roles, however.  The president is a decision-maker, a delegator, an agenda-setter.  A shrewd governor can successfully carry out these, though often a learning-curve is required.  The vice president supports the president as advisor, but this role is poorly-defined, thus the VP can be influential or assume wallflower status.  I’d say that she’s going to find herself in an awkward position if McCain wins.

Another thing.  It’s little secret that the Republicans hope to win over some disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters through Palin.  I find it almost insulting to women, to assume that they will vote based on appearance rather than issue.  That Palin is a woman will somehow blot out the fact that she is pro-life, opposed to gun control, supports ANWR drilling and teaching of creationism in schools.  And related, I also cringe at how Clinton is being touted as the female candidate who (almost) shattered the glass ceiling of politics.  She is not and was not simply a female candidate who appealed to people because she was ‘ground-breaking’ in that way.

Anyway, tired as anything.  Post turns out far less cohesive than I’d like, but shrug.  Time to study French, then to bed!