Spring Break
Column: McCain goes off the bridge to nowhere
Matthew Casner/Columnist
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Opinions
Over the weekend, we have all been getting acquainted with John McCain's surprise pick for vice president, Sarah Palin - in some cases, more acquainted than many of us would like. Nevertheless, I believe a few choice items do merit repeating.
It is worth mentioning that little more than a year and a half ago, Palin was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska - a tiny hamlet outside of Anchorage with a population of 5,000 people. For comparison's sake, this is approximately half the size of Eastern. Think about that for a moment: Our own Student Body President, Levi Bulgar, represents twice as many people now as Palin did when this campaign began.
Therefore, the stunning announcement from McCain that Palin was more qualified than any other candidate besides him to be the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth was met with shocked silence across the board, from both liberals and conservatives alike. Was this a joke? Had the old man finally lost his mind?
The plan, such as it was, comes down to this: Palin is a woman. Hillary Clinton is also a woman. Therefore, women who voted for Senator Clinton will naturally leap at the chance to vote for a uterus - I mean, a candidate - like Palin.
Ingeniously simple as it was, the plan was not without its flaws: First, women voters are not stupid, and second, Palin is the epitome of everything Clinton is against.
A staunch conservative, Palin is vehemently pro-life. She does not believe abortions should be legal even in cases of rape and incest, which places her well outside the mainstream even among the conservative evangelical crowd. She also denies all science relating to global warming - scary, considering her home state - and has expressed her support for teaching "creation science" in public schools.
Creation science? Seriously?
John Kerry was right to refer to Palin as a member of "the flat-Earth caucus" in a recent interview - the very idea of nominating someone as scientifically illiterate as this would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago. Even Bush in his most psychotic moments has never gone so far as to actually advocate creationism outright, or to suggest that rape victims should be forced to carry their attackers' children to term. What have we become as a nation when this kind of thinking is even entertained?
Graciously, it may not be for long. Most candidates can expect a slight bump in the polls following the announcement of a vice president. McCain, however, has received none. The first Rasmussen poll released since the announcement shows Obama with the widest lead he has enjoyed in months, and as more and more dirt on Palin continues to percolate up from the depths of the Daily Kos, expect to see the possibility of dropping her from the ticket raised by Republicans in the coming weeks.
If there is any hope, it rests with the polls.
Matthew Casner is a junior Art major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
It is worth mentioning that little more than a year and a half ago, Palin was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska - a tiny hamlet outside of Anchorage with a population of 5,000 people. For comparison's sake, this is approximately half the size of Eastern. Think about that for a moment: Our own Student Body President, Levi Bulgar, represents twice as many people now as Palin did when this campaign began.
Therefore, the stunning announcement from McCain that Palin was more qualified than any other candidate besides him to be the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth was met with shocked silence across the board, from both liberals and conservatives alike. Was this a joke? Had the old man finally lost his mind?
The plan, such as it was, comes down to this: Palin is a woman. Hillary Clinton is also a woman. Therefore, women who voted for Senator Clinton will naturally leap at the chance to vote for a uterus - I mean, a candidate - like Palin.
Ingeniously simple as it was, the plan was not without its flaws: First, women voters are not stupid, and second, Palin is the epitome of everything Clinton is against.
A staunch conservative, Palin is vehemently pro-life. She does not believe abortions should be legal even in cases of rape and incest, which places her well outside the mainstream even among the conservative evangelical crowd. She also denies all science relating to global warming - scary, considering her home state - and has expressed her support for teaching "creation science" in public schools.
Creation science? Seriously?
John Kerry was right to refer to Palin as a member of "the flat-Earth caucus" in a recent interview - the very idea of nominating someone as scientifically illiterate as this would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago. Even Bush in his most psychotic moments has never gone so far as to actually advocate creationism outright, or to suggest that rape victims should be forced to carry their attackers' children to term. What have we become as a nation when this kind of thinking is even entertained?
Graciously, it may not be for long. Most candidates can expect a slight bump in the polls following the announcement of a vice president. McCain, however, has received none. The first Rasmussen poll released since the announcement shows Obama with the widest lead he has enjoyed in months, and as more and more dirt on Palin continues to percolate up from the depths of the Daily Kos, expect to see the possibility of dropping her from the ticket raised by Republicans in the coming weeks.
If there is any hope, it rests with the polls.
Matthew Casner is a junior Art major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 49
Faculty Member
posted 9/03/08 @ 8:15 AM CST
To be accurate, George W. did show his ignorance, again, on television when he said "we" should "teach the controversy" when it came to teaching creationism in the science classroom. (Continued…)
FlaLady
posted 9/03/08 @ 10:23 AM CST
Matthew, I am appalled. Are you actually quoting The Daily Kos? If so, you should subtitle your blogs with 'ardent radical-leftist'. Please try to be a little objective. (Continued…)
AssPress: Palin has not pushed creationism as governor
posted 9/03/08 @ 2:16 PM CST
Matthew: If you want to fling smears like "expressed her support for teaching 'creation science' in public schools.", you may want to actually cite a reliable source or two. (Continued…)
We HATE you, Sarah Palin
posted 9/03/08 @ 2:19 PM CST
Where does she get off thinking she can be vice president of the United States? Up against the one million years in the Senate her opponent, Joe Biden, has logged in between expensive rides at taxpayer expense on the Acela, what can she offer? Mayor of a town of six people and ten caribou [sneer]? Miss Congeniality [sneer, sneer]? Illegitimate-child baby-grandma [sneer, sneer, sneer]? Poster chick for "family values" [sneer, sneer, sneer, sneer]?
Sorry, I'm running out of sneers. (Continued…)
Rick Baker, Alumni
posted 9/03/08 @ 3:54 PM CST
To the author of "We Hate You...":
This is the best rebuttal of ANYTHING ever written in the DEN. In fact , this may be the best thing to ever appear in the DEN in any form. (Continued…)
One voice of reason
posted 9/03/08 @ 4:20 PM CST
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin -- reckless, cynical, thoroughly political, made without careful investigation, a "gut" choice -- lets us know all we need to know about how he would govern. (Continued…)
Christian conservative
posted 9/03/08 @ 8:31 PM CST
First, Mr. Casner, allow me to respectfully, but vehemently, disagree with you. Mrs. Palin's views on abortion are not outside of the conservative evangelical voting bloc, at least among those who are truly conservative evangelicals. (Continued…)
Which chapter of Genesis?
posted 9/03/08 @ 10:09 PM CST
Are you sure we should read just Chapter One of Genesis? Because Chapter Two gives a very different account of creation. The sequence of events differs; human life is created in a different way; the man and woman are created at different times. (Continued…)
Kyle Mayhugh
posted 9/04/08 @ 7:48 AM CST
"Oh -- and if Adam and Eve had two sons, where did their wives come from?"
If you honestly want to pose that question, it's clear you haven't done as much research into Genesis as you claimed. (Continued…)
S.R. Jones
posted 9/04/08 @ 8:12 AM CST
Casner is clearly a left-wing schill. Both his column and his commentary thereafter denote DNC and Daily Koz talking points. He half-hazardly mingles unrelated arguments in an all-too-common attempt at smearing a Republican candidate for Vice President. (Continued…)
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