An excerpt
From CNN.com:
“It’s like a really bad Disney movie - the hockey mom…from Alaska, and she’s the president, and it’s like she’s facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. And it’s absurd, it’s totally absurd, and I don't understand why people aren’t talking about how absurd it is," (Actor Matt) Damon said.
"You do the actuary tables, there's a 1-3 chance if not more, that McCain doesn't survive his first term and it will be President Palin," Damon also said, adding later "I think there's a really good chance Sarah Palin could be president, and I think that's a really scary thing, because I don't know anything about her, and I don't think in eight weeks I am going to know anything about her.”
Palin's selection 11 days ago to the GOP ticket has drawn record crowds to McCain campaign rallies and generated a wave of enthusiasm among the base of the party. Damon told the AP he viewed the pick as a purely political one.
"I know that she was a mayor of a really, really small town, and she's been governor of Alaska for less than two years - I think the pick was made for political purposes but in terms of governance it’s a disaster," he said.
I've really got to agree with Matt Damon on this one, and I think he sums it up well. I think Sarah Palin is well-spoken, probably a nice, godly woman, but I do not think she is a good VP candidate. It angers me that there are tons of people out there who want her to be vice president because they claim that "God's hand is upon her." Honestly, I think it's more that these people can't stand the thought of voting Democrat but were disappointed with McCain as the Republican candidate. Now they have a justification to vote Republican without feeling guilty for putting someone as out there (relatively speaking) as McCain in office.
However, I think the same standard has to be applied to Barack Obama if it must be applied to Palin. Obama is THE Democratic presidential candidate. He has a 50 percent chance of being the next president. He has served two years in the U.S. Senate (and at least one of those years was completely consumed with presidential campaigning) and seven years in the Illinois Senate (you could probably knock out two of those years because he had to campaign for U.S. Senate at some point, and he also had a failed attempt at election to the U.S. House). So basically, Obama has about six years of political experience.
Some might argue that Joe Biden's experience balances Obama's relative lack of experience out. Sarah Palin also has six years of political experience. Sure, she doesn't have national experience, but she also is not actually running for PRESIDENT. And McCain certainly has plenty of experience.
So I agree with Damon's points about Palin, especially given that McCain is so freakin' old that he could die in office. But at the same time, I think it's hypocritical to complain about Palin's lack of experience without turning the same magnifying glass on Obama.
“It’s like a really bad Disney movie - the hockey mom…from Alaska, and she’s the president, and it’s like she’s facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. And it’s absurd, it’s totally absurd, and I don't understand why people aren’t talking about how absurd it is," (Actor Matt) Damon said.
"You do the actuary tables, there's a 1-3 chance if not more, that McCain doesn't survive his first term and it will be President Palin," Damon also said, adding later "I think there's a really good chance Sarah Palin could be president, and I think that's a really scary thing, because I don't know anything about her, and I don't think in eight weeks I am going to know anything about her.”
Palin's selection 11 days ago to the GOP ticket has drawn record crowds to McCain campaign rallies and generated a wave of enthusiasm among the base of the party. Damon told the AP he viewed the pick as a purely political one.
"I know that she was a mayor of a really, really small town, and she's been governor of Alaska for less than two years - I think the pick was made for political purposes but in terms of governance it’s a disaster," he said.
I've really got to agree with Matt Damon on this one, and I think he sums it up well. I think Sarah Palin is well-spoken, probably a nice, godly woman, but I do not think she is a good VP candidate. It angers me that there are tons of people out there who want her to be vice president because they claim that "God's hand is upon her." Honestly, I think it's more that these people can't stand the thought of voting Democrat but were disappointed with McCain as the Republican candidate. Now they have a justification to vote Republican without feeling guilty for putting someone as out there (relatively speaking) as McCain in office.
However, I think the same standard has to be applied to Barack Obama if it must be applied to Palin. Obama is THE Democratic presidential candidate. He has a 50 percent chance of being the next president. He has served two years in the U.S. Senate (and at least one of those years was completely consumed with presidential campaigning) and seven years in the Illinois Senate (you could probably knock out two of those years because he had to campaign for U.S. Senate at some point, and he also had a failed attempt at election to the U.S. House). So basically, Obama has about six years of political experience.
Some might argue that Joe Biden's experience balances Obama's relative lack of experience out. Sarah Palin also has six years of political experience. Sure, she doesn't have national experience, but she also is not actually running for PRESIDENT. And McCain certainly has plenty of experience.
So I agree with Damon's points about Palin, especially given that McCain is so freakin' old that he could die in office. But at the same time, I think it's hypocritical to complain about Palin's lack of experience without turning the same magnifying glass on Obama.