Sep 17 2008
Did McCain sell his own faith for the Presidency?
It is interesting to me to see how people want to spin McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for his VP. Check out this article.
No one should be more loudly up in arms against Sarah Palin’s ascendancy to The Presidency than educated and moderate Christian, Jewish and Protestant Americans. Yet, no good people have ever done less while dark men rise.
The problem middle America should have with Palin is how she was elevated and why. She was selected over the objection of McCain himself and outside the democratic primary process. She was elevated by party pollsters, terrified of loosing the mega-church evangelical vote. McCain was, literally, blackmailed by religious extremists. The electoral math was clear to them and Palin’s polling has proven it since:
The only way McCain could win the election was to sell the Presidency itself.
The Palin ascendancy is a magician’s trick. It is an end-run around democratic process and the votes of tens of millions of Christian, Protestant and Jewish Republicans. She is entirely defined by her religious extremism and her rise is therefore also an end-run around the constitutional separation between church and government.
If Palin was a Catholic or a Jewish or a Mormon American (like the three leading VP candidates Republicans actually voted for in the primaries) she would not be in the contest. Your party passed over proven public leaders, including Joeseph Lieberman, Tom Ridge, Mit Romney and others. Leaders whose most important “qualification” was tens of millions of your very own votes. Religion has become more important than education, experience, ability or even the number of votes received, for every job in Government.
Including the White House.
Read more here.
[From me]
How does this reporter know that McCain didn’t want Palin? What do you think? Did McCain pick someone whom he really didn’t want just to get elected. Or is this just sour grapes by people who don’t like his choice?
What do you think?
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11 responses so far
I think that the choice of Sarah Palin has deeply upset the Democratic applecart. Obama is sweating that he will get elected. I think for the first time since the campaigning began.
Debbie Kaufman’s last blog post..Itching Ears Pt. 27: Preterism
I wonder…where are the sources…those unnamed sources that are always given…where are the secret sources of information?
I could write an article about Biden…or Obama…or McCain…or Palin…and say anything I want to say–lousy journalism!
M. Steve Heartsill’s last blog post..Everybody Has an Opinion
Am I missing something…I thought the point of choosing a vp WAS to help garner votes. isn’t that why biden was brought in. to add experience, the working class, the extreme left-wing.
jonathan’s last blog post..Guest Blog 1 Eli
Two words: sour grapes. Two words: lost votes Two words: no credibility. Two words: liberal media. Two words: get real. Two words: real fear. Two word: lost presidency. (hopefully)
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Impossible? No Way!
That’s the nice thing about sore losers. They can prove what they are when adversity pops up. And they usually do.
Bob Cleveland’s last blog post..I Went For Lunch; What I Had Was Church
It’s no crazier for a journalist to speculate on whether McCain wanted Palin than it was for Palin to speculate that Obama regretted picking Biden and now wants Hillary. She has no more idea than the writer. Typical election stuff.
McCain probably figured he needed an outspoken Christian so that the religious crowd would be excited about voting for him. The guy doesn’t have much of a track record for prioritizing his faith and has gone out of his way to offend the political christians in his party.
As with all vice-presidential picks, McCain picked Palin to appeal to a particular constituency. In this case, he wasn’t doing well with evangelicals and social conservatives, so he picked someone he’d met once who could appeal to that demographic. EVERY politician does this, so it’s not really surprising. It seems to have helped McCain in the short run, but I’d be surprised if the Palin bounce lasts much longer, given that she’s now giving interviews that clearly show her lack of foreign policy experience and knowledge of national affairs.
Texas in Africa’s last blog post..wednesday this & that
Definitely! The republican party always chooses the VP candidate, not the candidate himself. Reagan had no use for George H.W. Bush - wouldn’t even allow him in a lot of his meetings. Bush was VP because he was the republican’s choice, not Reagan’s. Palin has energized the McCain campaign. Hopefully, American will see thru the spin.
Very refreshing..thanks for all the previous posts….I think this was a deliberate hit job and effort to try and splinter what they consider a very viable threat to their beloved Obama.
who cares is what I say. The writer is obviously not a vote republicans had a chance at getting. THAT’S WHAT VPs ARE. Vote getters. You don’t choose the 2nd best republican, when did that become news? You don’t choose the 2nd best democrat either.
The choosing of Sarah Palin was brilliant.
I actually had signed at the website for “Draft Palin for VP” so am thrilled at the selection. No matter whom he chose he would have been criticized and the dirt diggers would have converged on them, so get some good, new blood in there!
Now I hope they (Republicans) don’t string us along for another 30 years promising action on Roe v. Wade (or more on gay marriage)! They seem to only be playing us for the votes and would not have a lot to offer in actual action since they would not have a differentiating issue to run on.
As a Christian, don’t we all feel used at times? Thanks goodness we know One who wants us- not just what we can do!