Jamie

Weinstein

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September 15, 2008

A Conservative Dissent from Palinmania

Don't count me among the Sarah Palinmaniacs.

Ever since John McCain's surprise announcement that he had tapped the Alaskan governor to be his running mate, conservatives have flocked to her and created a cult of personality around her of Obamic proportions. No less than Ronald Reagan's son, Michael, has proclaimed her as the second coming of his father.

“Wednesday night I watched the Republican National Convention on television and there, before my very eyes, I saw my Dad reborn,” Reagan wrote in his nationally syndicated column one day after Palin's speech in Minneapolis-St. Paul, “only this time he's a she.”

Wow. Talk about over the top.

Let me make one thing clear from the start. I like Sarah Palin. Her record as a reformer in Alaska is impressive. The way she upended the establishment to become governor is remarkable. She did indeed give a well-delivered speech at the Republican National Convention – though comparisons to Reagan seem hyperbolic on so many different levels. She surely has more executive experience than either Barack Obama or Joe Biden. And when it comes to moose hunting, well, I doubt anyone in national politics could compete with Sarah Barracuda. In ordinary times, she may even have been qualified to be a vice-presidential nominee. 

But we don't live in ordinary times. The next president will face serious foreign policy challenges. We are engaged in global conflict against Islamist terrorism that continues to threaten America. There are nuances to this conflict that make it very tricky for any president to deal with, much less a president who has not thought very much about the issues involved.

Let's face it. If John McCain is elected, Sarah Palin isn't going to be a Dick Cheney. She will likely fill the role of vice president that John McCain has always joked about – attend foreign funerals and inquire daily into the health of the president.

There is no question she is eminently qualified to do the first part. But on part two, if on one of her daily inquiries into McCain's well-being she discovers something tragic, is she ready to become Commander in Chief of our military and deal with all the foreign policy decisions that threaten us on day one? Count me as a skeptic.

This is not a knock at McCain's age. I have written more than one article about why McCain's age should not be a disqualifier. But the truth of the matter is, especially in our age of terrorism, every president is vulnerable. The vice president must be ready and able to step into the role of president in the case of a tragic calamity.

During her interview with ABC's Charlie Gibson last week, Palin made no gigantic mistake, but she also didn't impress with her command of international issues. Her depth of knowledge on the complexities of the problems we face seems to be about an inch deep on foreign affairs.

Sure, if she is thrust into the presidency, it won't be like we get Bozo the Clown as Commander in Chief. Palin appears to be quite bright and a quick study. Plus, she will likely have advisors around her who are well versed on foreign policy issues to help guide her. But, still, it is far better to have a president who himself or herself has spent serious time thinking and learning about the great foreign policy challenges America faces, so that when a foreign policy crisis arises, maybe at 3 a.m., they will have a background of understanding to guide them in their decision.

History may record that McCain's decision to pick Palin was politically brilliant. So far, it appears that way. But one of McCain's greatest appeals is that he is less prone than other politicians to making decisions based on the politics of the situation. “Country First," McCain's campaign signs read. Looking at McCain's astonishing military record and even his stance on the Iraq surge and immigration reform this election cycle, you see a man who lives by that motto. The Palin decision, however, falls short of that credo. 

In picking his vice president, Barack Obama made the more responsible choice, a good move considering he is almost as inexperienced on foreign policy as Palin is. If McCain wins the White House due to Palin's popularity, perhaps it will justify McCain's decision to pick her. But let's cut the silly rhetoric that Palin is somehow the female Ronald Reagan. She's not – at least not yet.  Hopefully, Palin will use any free time she has to bone up on foreign affairs.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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