August 31, 2008
Obama, McCain Choose Great Running Mates
Illinois Senator Barack Obama wowed 82,000 Democrat faithful at the Denver football stadium last Thursday with music by a popular orchestra, introduction of his running mate – Delaware Senator Joe Biden -- hugs and kisses of family members, cannon-fired confetti, and fireworks rivaling that at the Beijing Olympic.
Sadly for the Democrats, Republican presidential candidate John McCain chose the next day to announce his own running mate – the dynamic Alaska Governor Mrs. Sarah Palin (pronounced Paylin.)
Instead of an anticipated cozy after-glow for his big night, Obama has had to search for knocks to the McCain/Palin ticket.
GOVERNOR PALIN
Mrs. Palin was born at Sandpoint, Idaho, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Heath, schoolteachers. As an infant, Sarah was moved with them to Alaska.
As she grew she became a high school basketball star and flutist. She also was taught how to fire a rifle and hunt moose with her father.
In school, she was the head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She won the Miss Wasilla beauty contest, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications-Journalism from the University of Idaho.
She is married Todd Palin, her high school sweetheart. He works for the BP Oil Company in a non-managerial position. In summers, he works as a fisherman. He is a four-time winner of the “Iron Dog” 2,000-mile snowmobile race.
The family lives in Wasilla – a small town near Anchorage. They have five children. Older son Track, 19, is in the Army overseas. Three daughters are Bristol, 17; Willow, 14; Piper, 7.
Baby son Trig was born April 18 this year and is afflicted with Downs Syndrome. Mrs. Palin took three days off from Governor duties to bear him.
It was determined early that Trig was to be mentally deficient. However, Mrs. Palin refused to have an abortion, and the entire family showers the baby with affection.
ABORTION ISSUE AGAIN
Right off the bat, the presidential race has a touchy issue to debate.
After the Saddleback extravaganza, Sen. Barack Obama was interviewed by the Christian Broadcasting Network about his opposition to Illinois legislation protecting infants born alive after surviving abortions.
The Rev. Rick Warren asked Obama when the Senator believes a struggling, newborn baby gets human rights.
In exasperation, Obama replied: “I am absolutely convinced that there is a moral and ethical element to the procedure."
A year ago, Obama declared to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund that as president the first legislation he would sign was the Freedom of Choice Act.
At Saddleback last week, he ducked the issue as being “above his pay grade.” If so, why does he seek to ban existing restrictions on his pay grade?
Congress eight years ago adopted legislation declaring that infants born alive after abortions are “persons under the law.”
The Illinois Legislature took up the issue in 2001. Obama spoke against infant rights but ducked voting.
Obama talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk.
SAME OLD SAME OLD
At Denver, Obama wheeled out the standard Democrat tirade:
“This is our chance to keep the American promise alive. We cannot turn back – not with so much work to be done, not with so many children to educate and so many veterans to care for – not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save, not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend.”
If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make big elections about small things.
It was clear through out his acceptance speech that a vote for a “mixed race” candidate might be troubling for some voters.
“I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don’t fit the typical pedigree, and haven’t spent my career in the halls of Washington."
SMILE WHEN YOU SAY THAT
Sen. John McCain placed television ads terming Obama’s acceptance speech “Truly a good day for America.”
The next day, McCain’s camp resumed Obama criticism.
“Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama.
“When the fireworks ended, the facts remain. Senator Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year and still voted against funds for American troops in harm’s way.
“The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be president."
BY THE WAY, JOE BIDEN
In all the hullabaloo about McCain’s vice-president, Obama’s running mate was overshadowed.
Delaware Senator Joseph Biden is said to be a Senate buddy of Obama and is known as an attack dog. It is assumed Biden – a tough Democratic senator – will intimidate anti-Black critics.
Certainly there is anti-Black criticism to be dealt with. Yet, Obama is not black-black. Instead he is the son of a divorced Zimbabwe official and a white mother. And Obama has been favored with free scholarships in upscale universities.
It is not certain that Obama will be the automatic choice of all-American blacks who have fought their way up the hard way.
By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist
