How McCain Almost Had My Support (but lost it)

I've been on the fence about who to vote for for months now, and the whole time I said I'd probably make my decision based on the running mates. I know the veep doesn't actually do much within an administration (present administration excepted), but I have grave doubts about Obama's ability to lead, and while I like the younger McCain of 2000, his kowtowing to the far right over the past four years has soured my view of him, and I don't have much confidence in his ability to tackle the fiscal issues that need tackling.

McCain's choice of Sarah Palin made my decision a heckuva lot easier, and solidified his role in my mind as a craven politician of the worst kind. Essentially, a man of McCain's age choosing Palin as his running mate, given the odds that he won't be able to make it through a full term alive, represents reckless endangerment of the United States.

If McCain were a "maverick," he would've picked someone capable of assisting with our country's problems regardless of the votes they would bring to the ticket. Romney is an obvious choice, Bloomberg a less obvious one only because he;d likely refuse the position. Heck, pick Huckabee...at least he governed for 11 years, and he might actually shore up that far-right base. Instead, McCain did the opposite: picked someone who has absolutely nothing to contribute to the ticket or to the country except deliver votes.

Frankly, Sen. McCain should be tried for treason just for increasing the odds that Gov. Palin ends up leading this country in the next four years.

Maybe she'd grow into it. She's certainly intelligent, and she's handling the situation and her current level of ignorance with supreme savviness. And in all likelihood her ignorance is only temporary. But she's not ready to lead this country, and whoever is on the ticket with McCain (or any candidate) needs to be.