Cool down.

[ajoyfulgirl]

I feel a bit irrational, being pissed of by the choice of Palin. V.P. picks are, and should be, at least in part made with the hope of connecting to a wider base of voters. Obama picked Biden at least in part because he smacks of his scrappy blue-collar youth, and he brings with him some needed experience. I like that choice for being practical, because Biden would be able to lead the country if needs be, because the other choices play very well into a potential cabinet. So I'm not an enemy to using the v.p. choice as a calculated play for votes. But really? I find it in this instance damnably offensive. Women who backed Clinton are now expected to vote for someone in total opposition to her policies, based on McCain's nominating a veep with a vagina? Palin's boasting now she's in the game, that "glass ceiling" might still be "shattered", really? when she's been hand-picked by her (male) running mate on the sole assumption that her being female is enough to make women vote for him, regardless of politics? She's possibly to be second in line of the presidency, someone who has zero experience in the national political arena (haven't they been fussing about that one inexperienced senator...?)-- someone with a little less than two years of experience as a governor (one moreover that largely based her platform on investigating and rooting out government corruption, and was then herself in trouble for potential abuse of her position-- firing a public safety commissioner for not firing her ex-brother-in-law)...? I sincerely doubt that McCain would have ever considered Palin at all, had it not been for the belief that Clinton's supporters will now flock to anyone that panders to them. If she had more credentials, if I could by any stretch of imagination think he would have considered her in an election that hadn't seen the likes of Senator Clinton, I wouldn't be so pissed. But as it stands, it's hard not to take it as an insult. It's a step better than McCain tapping Michael Phelps in order to counter Obama's celebrity and popularity with younger voters. I guess, anyway. I'm not sure if I'm more disturbed by the arrogant and offensive belief that women will vote for another woman before they will cast a vote based on issues-- or by the idea that perhaps there is a group out there that will play into that scenario exactly. People aren't really that easily fooled, easily lead, are they? I don't think so, but I'm not as sure as I'd like to be. I don't want to think about it.

So instead I'm reading about a New York biker gang that rescues kittens.

*b.