Column: McCain goes off the bridge to nowhere

By: Matthew Casner/Columnist

Posted: 9/3/08

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.