Myth Versus Truth

Such a big deal is made about Sarah Palin being just like you and me, I can’t help but wonder… does that mean you feel qualified to be Vice President or possibly President? I sure don’t. Do you think the guy next door or the lady across the street is qualified to run this country? I don’t want somebody just like me trying to get us out of the mess we are in. I want someone who understands the complexities of this global 21st Century world we live in. Most of the ordinary people I know haven’t worked at being well informed, haven’t bothered to study history and learn about the cultures of other countries. So how could they deal with our economic crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanastan, and the agression of Russia, Iran and North Korea? It will take a leader who is well informed, intellegent, and capable of critical thinking to guide us out of the morass which resulted from simplistic thinking with decisions based on bravado. The last thing we need is more of that.

The myth of Sarah Palin is based on a perky, fiesty persona spouting folksy catchwords, sarcastic zingers, and all the emotional button-pushing-words in the GOP talking points. The problem is this persona will not solve the problems our country is facing. And close examination of Palin’s record and performance in the campaign, shows her, at most, to be a big fish in a little pond and not equiped to be President of the United States.

The myth of John McCain is based on his transformation from hot tempered, spoiled flyboy to selfless patriot upon his return from Hanoi. But McCain is still a bad tempered, self-indulgent, man who is driven by self interest. Another part of his story is his transformation from bought and paid for influrence peddler to uncorruptible reformer after the Keating Five scandal. But McCain still sells his influence to those who contribute to his election campaigns. Since neither of these transformations actually took place who is the real John McCain?

The truth of John McCain is that he is a man who wants to be president so much he is willing to do and say anything to win the election. He pledged to run a respectful campaign, but instead has filled the air waves with ads that run the gauntlet from barely true to outright lies. He hired the same people who smeared him, his wife, and his daughter in 2000. Having been their victim, there could be no other purpose in hiring these people than to use the same smear tactics against Barack Obama. McCain’s self proclaimed integrity, and principles went out the window in pursuit of the presidency.

McCain claims that Sarah Palin did not take earmarks as governor of Alaska. Sarah Palin wrote an op-ed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in March of 2008 defending her position on earmarks. Her statements completely contradict McCain’s claim and contradict what she and McCain have been saying in ads and on the stump. It would seem that telling barefaced lies may be what John and Sarah mean when they call themselves mavericks.

Apparently the real John McCain believes you can stand up for what you believe in as long as it doesn’t keep you from getting elected. We hear ads and speeches containing lies and half-truths. Even after they are exposed as lies, they continue to be repeated. So, are we saying as a society that it is OK to lie as long as what is said is something we want to believe, or as long as what is said gets us what we want? Have we then stopped wanting to hear the truth? Will we be satisfied with a President and Vice President we know lied over and over to get elected? How then will we be able to trust them to tell the truth once they are in office?

It is hard to reconcile all of this with a “Country First” slogan isn’t it?