This cynical choice has left McCain’s honour in shreds (The Sunday Times)

[struggle4progress]

From The Sunday Times
September 7, 2008
Minette Marrin

... I had thought that McCain was, for a politician, an honourable man. Certainly honour is one of his top selling points. But who can think so now? In choosing a woman he doesn’t know or understand, purely for electoral advantage, he reveals a dishonourable lust for office, a disrespect for women generally and a dishonourable indifference to the future of his country. After all, if this known unknown woman does become president, it will almost certainly be because he himself is dead - quite possible given his age and health - and past caring.

Though he didn’t know Palin personally, he must have known a few facts about her. He must have known that she compares feebly with previous vice-presidential candidates. Her education is minimal, her real political and managerial experience very slight. The only previous woman candidate for vice-president, the Democrat Geraldine Ferraro, was well qualified, well educated and experienced; Palin can’t hold a candle to her. Palin’s experience is as nothing compared to that of Dick Cheney (congressman, secretary of defence and White House chief of staff), Al Gore (senator and congressman) or George Bush Sr (congressman, ambassador to the United Nations and China, head of the CIA). Being a vice-president is not just a matter of PR and homespun rhetoric, or used not to be.

Even a brief consideration of Palin might suggest that she is not the straightforward redneck hockey mom she claims to be. It’s not possible to be much of a mom to five children, including a baby with Down’s syndrome, if you have a more than full-time job. Like other people with working responsibilities, you have to hand your children over to someone else to bring up. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it denies you the right to exploit your image as a yummy downhome mummy.

In short Palin is an ill-educated, inexperienced hypocrite. The Republicans are trying to sell her to the voters as something she isn’t, and McCain hardly cares what she is. It’s a bad day for my native land.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/minette_marrin/article4692133.ece?openComment=true

[Cattledog]

1. dishonourable lust for office

That's the Talking point!

[panader0]

2. Too bad the Brits can't vote in our election

and the rest of the world too.

[mr_hat]

3. The Times, London? Really?

That's a Rupert Bear pub.

[kestrel91316]

4. When has McCain EVER been an honorable man?

When he was fucking Cindy while still married to Carol??? When he got wrapped up in the S&L debacle with his buddy Keating?? When he forgave the Republican Party for calling his adopted Bangladeshi daughter a n-----r????????

[GoldenOldie]

5. POW - YES HERO -NO

As an Arizonan, I have lost any respect I had for John McCain. I supported him in 2000, feeling that as a VietNam veteran and a POW, his sense of duty and honor would prevail. Having lived, worked among the military all my life, from WWII through VietNam, John McCain has dishonored the sacrifices his fellow veterans and our soldiers of today have made and are now making to protect our Nation. His selection of Sara Palin, based on one-meeting and his failure to vet her for his choice as a running mate makes me ashamed that this "DUDE," (an expression my FIL/4th generation Arizona rancher gave to anyone not born or bred in Arizona) represents Arizona.

[Karenina]

8. He has also CONSISTENTLY voted AGAINST your best interests.

I do hope you are aware of that.

[glitch]

10. People really out themselves as propagandized with this crap, don't they? nt

[bemildred]

6. McCain left honor behind some time ago.

http://butnerblogspot.files.wordpress.com.nyud.net:8090/2008/06/mccain_bush_brokeback.jpg

[smaug]

7. Wow - tell us how you really feel

/snark

Great article. Isn't it amazing that the foreign press can see through the clouds of bs the reTHUGlikkklans throw up to mask their 'choice', whilst our supposedly 'free' media can't seem to get past junior high school?

[MISSDem]

9. I read that she went back

to work three days after her baby was born. That may be why the rumor was started that it was really her daughter's child. And she covered up her pregnancy for 7 months. How motherly.