REPUBLICAN PARTY DEMAGOGUERY In John McCain’s VP Selection?

Innocent Chia

The party that prides itself of having family values at the core of its foundation may be in more trouble waters than any hurricane pay back that the Republicans may be getting from their mishandling of Katrina some three years ago and the reminder that Gustav serves. Bristol Palin, the 17 year old teenage daughter of Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, John McCain’s choice for Vice President, is five months old into her single mom pregnancy.

Barack Obama has amply clarified his position that any attack on family members, “especially children…are off limits”.  In fact, he was classy enough to add that his mother delivered him at age 18. He omitted that she was married, the eventual separation notwithstanding. Therefore, there are un-strenuously connected and legitimate questions related John McCain’s judgment, or lack thereof, based on this selection of Governor Palin and the baggage that seems to be unraveling even before the eyes of the John McCain and the RNC.

At the heart of this debacle is the fact that Governor Palin is known for preaching abstinence and no sex education in schools in Alaska. In a convoluted and sickening manner, one could say that it certainly has come to bite her in her very own backend. But more importantly, it says that this candidate cannot claim the moral high ground that she and her party would otherwise hold. One can admirably argue that Bristol’s teenage pregnancy and the birth of the last son Trig, with Down syndrome, speak volumes about how principled and consistent the candidate is. Nonetheless, it is outright hypocrisy to want to tell people how to live their lives when one cannot be in control of what is happening in their own backyard.

There is also the case to be made that it is possible that this little girl that is now dragged into the mud was just living the life of any teenager. More poignant, like in most teenage pregnancies, the mother was ironically too busy with the message of abstinence and failed to pay attention to her attention seeking teenager. Because, at the very least, one would like to know whether the teenager knew about the risks associated with her behavior and did not care or whether she did not know at all. It speaks to the importance of leading by example and not only by what we say. The Republican spin masters can now change the focus to be on the unconditional support that Governor Palin and her family is now giving to Bristol. But the support is five months late. She needed this support before and got no help from her mother who may just have been as hardnosed discussing abstinence and sex ed. even at home.

Such poor judgment has not been in short supply within the Republican institution over the last several years, it seems. But even as the Palin family deals with this extremely delicate and difficult personal matter, it is important to note that the Republican Party has always equated running a family successfully with the ability to govern well. In the instance of Sarah Palin, it is obvious this teen pregnancy cannot be a proud moment that the family would have wanted to parade. The Governor will be a happy grandmother. No doubt. There is little doubt, however, that she would have equally wanted for it to be after a grandiose wedding for the daughter of the first female Governor of Alaska or first female VP of the United States, should this ticket win the White House.

Whatever the case, the world is getting more information out of Governor Palin than Senator McCain has offered in close to three decades about his first wife, Carol Shepp, who was crippled in an accident while John McCain was at war. The former beauty pageant was dumped in favor of richer and younger Cindy McCain, after returning from Vietnam as a POW. What about those marriage vows? It would appear that for John McCain marriage is only for the good times. He obviously attaches no currency to the marriage creed of “for better for worse till death do us path”. Are those the family values that conservatives are giving one an earful about?

Finally, let us imagine for a split second that the roles had been reversed and the "liberal" Obama's daughter had a child out of wedlock!! We would hear all kinds of crap about liberalism run amuck, about the irresponsibility of black families, etc. We would be told that if "they" can't take care of their own teenager, how on God’s earth will they be able to take care of Russia...Talk about double standards.

At the end of the day McCain’s choice for VP is all but judicious. It establishes a pattern about McCain that speaks volumes about the way he views women. This view is quintessentially utilitarian in that it accessorizes women. Women are good for him when he can benefit something from them like wealth or his “maverick” pose. Otherwise, they are good riddance like Carol Shepp. In deed, the reason why McCain never picked any of the other qualified candidates like Romney or Lieberman or Pawlenty is simple: He needed someone that would not challenge him, someone that would lie at his feet and drink from his fountain of knowledge. He needed someone so fresh his views would go unopposed due to the person’s inexperience.

Innocent Chia
Citizen Journalist.