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After reading Kathleen Parker’s latest column, Sarah Palin's Bridge to Somewhere, my jaw literally dropped in reading this nefarious column especially after reading her previous column calling Sarah Palin “out of her league” when it came to her current role as John McCain’s running mate. I surely had hopes for Parker given the poignant article she wrote calling for Palin to withdraw from this race she was indeed putting country first.
I have to be honest when I say the reason she was picked was to lure disenfranchised Hillary Clinton voters over and women in general. I found that to be condescending given the fact that there are other women within the Republican ranks who have earned their dues and do show a breath of knowledge especially when it comes to foreign policy.
Parker wrote, "Instead, the affable, tough, determined pit-bull-hockey mom presented to the GOP convention was back with a jaw-jutting, happy-warrior vengeance." It is sad to say that Palin did not show a working knowledge of the United States Constitution. Call me a stickler when it comes to that sacred document, but when she called for redefining the role of the vice president, the only role the vice president has is presiding over the senate as its president and to break any tie within that body.
What is said of the vice president is that they are a heart beat away from the presidency and again bringing our Constitution into play, Palin should read Article 25 of the Constitution to fully understand her role.
I was literally shaking my head as I read this passage, "She was often too cute by half -- winking and gosh-darning her way through the debate -- but she did what she needed to do." In this dangerous world we are living in, I do not want my vice president to come across as cute and by winking. That may play to the uniformed, but not to those who are serious about our national security.
As Palin spoke of Iran getting their hands on nuclear material within the debate, she had to understand at least that is my hope that not only Americans were watching this debate, so was a foreign audience. Can you imagine the reaction coming from Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as she winked numerous times to the camera. What about Al Qaeda and oh yes, Osama bin Laden?
This is where I do trust Senator Barack Obama’s choice in Senator Joe Biden as his running mate due to the fact he is known through his years of experience by world leaders. Yes, this liberal does care of our foreign policy and national security.
Before Parker's previous piece, I had not heard of her, so when she wrote this, "Poor Gwen Ifill was irrelevant -- a second-tier actor in Palin's morality play. Over and over, Palin skipped past Ifill, as well as Biden, to speak directly to the American people." First I found Palin's behavior rude to Gwen Ifill who I do hold a lot of respect for and the same goes for Senator Joe Biden.
The wealth and breath of knowledge the two of them have as well as years of experience does matter to me as an American citizen. Okay, call me an elitist, but those are the traits I do admire in those that communicate with us as well as lead us. Well based upon the polls taken after that debate, the American people did react and it was not in a positive fashion. In fact, many polls I have looked at have stated that it was Biden who won that debate.
While I debated whether or not to write this column, I just had to in order to express to Parker if she reads this editorial that in my opinion it is she who is irrelevant to my world.
When Parker wrote, "Palin's strategy throughout the evening was to avoid questions to which she didn't have answers and rely on the American people to like her so much they didn't care." As an American citizen, I demand from my elected officials and candidates running for the highest office in the land to answer the questions given them. I am after all a taxpayer and pay their very salaries.
By opining that the American citizens would not care, perhaps she is right when it comes to some Americans as we have been dumb down over the years. In fact ask most Americans who their elected representatives are, and some cannot answer. Me, I know all of mine.
Now as far as liking her, I found her down right rude when it came to Joe Biden telling the tale of how he lost his first wife and his daughter. She could have used that moment to her advantage and expressed some sympathy towards Senator Biden, but she rambled on. If I was not a supporter of the Obama/Biden ticket before last night’s debate, and if using emotions as a guide, when I heard Senator Joe Biden speak of his loss, well he did win me over.
Perhaps, Parker should read the reason behind my emotional connection with Joe Biden as expressed in this previous column, As a mom who has lost children, Joe Biden shares my values
Again, the only bridge we Americans must build on Election Day is a one way bridge back to Alaska for Sarah Palin because I feel that many are beginning to see that she is clearly out of her league.
You may reach the author at, xmjmac@optonline.net
