Even though we are former long-time Alaskans, we have not yet had the privilege of meeting Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, although after her spectacular presentation we”d certainly love to do so. But Doug Rhoades, in his letter in your Tuesday edition, brushes her off as an insignificant error perpetrated by John McCain. Come on, Doug. McCain did exactly what any other politician ? including Barack Obama ? would do in a similar situation.
He chose a running mate who would reinforce his own weaknesses. Obama, the “Agent of Change” chose one of the inner beltway”s most senior representatives, Joe Biden ? hardly a representative of a new day dawning in Washington. McCain, recognizing correctly that our nation”s energy problem is actually the number one problem facing the nation, selected a vice presidential candidate who has more experience in this field than all of the other candidates to the top two offices combined.
The many of our friends and family who know Sarah Palin join the vast majority of Alaskans in their high regard for this woman. She has the necessary attributes to hold the highest offices in the land. She has brains, guts and morality, which is much more than can be said for many people ? especially politicians.
Rhoades makes the anthropomorphic error of thinking that “any female would increase his (McCain”s) chances.” Well, Sarah Palin, for anyone paying attention, is far from just “any female.” She is an intelligent and decisive individual with a strong sense of personal values. And just as we all assumed that Harry S. Truman was certainly not ready ? in Rhoades terms ? to be a “heartbeat away from the presidency,” he proved to all of us, that he was. Sarah Palin would do exactly the same
As for the personal slander that seems to accompany every aspirant for high public office ? including Obama of course,? we can simply write it off as unimportant. The people on the ground, as the military say, are those most likely to have accurate information. In the case of Sarah Palin the people on the ground are the Alaskans, and they think she”s great.
June and Connel Murray
Kelseyville
