I am a conservative at heart, so her conservative talk is what I want to hear. Will she and John be able to “change” congress? It is doubtful, but at least the change they purpose makes since to me, and I think they will shake up the status quo a bit and that will be good for the future of politics.

I love her spirit, the gleam in her eye, the confidence in her voice and the love she openly expresses for her family, mom, dad, husband, kids and future son in law. I guess I would like to believe that a good mom could also be a good V.P.

One picture from her first night on stage will always stand out. Her young daughter holding the baby and licking her hand then smoothing the baby’s hair. That kid learned that some where and my guess is from her mom. That’s a qualifier in my book…mom used to do that to me when I was a kid too.

Thanks for weighing in on Sarah. I thought it was the cutest thing when Piper licked her hand and smoothed Trig’s hair. I had to rewind and play it for Wade.

Heather

Let me tell you what one of the biggest misteries is to us Europeans: Why is it so important for you to know what politicians are like in their personal lives? Isn’t it just enough to judge them on their views and policies? I can’t imagine shareholders in a Fortune 500 company asking the CEO to appear in front of all the company shareholders with his family so they can judge whether he’s a good father or not. Who cares if he’s a good father, as long as he runs the company well! And the truth is, most large company CEOs are lousy parents (or not parents at all), simply because it is so hard to excel at everything!

My conclusion is that Americans need to have someone in Office they can relate to. But, I wonder, why should I want a President who is like me?

Why does having a woman as VP candidate have to appeal to women? Why does her being a mother of 5, one of those a special needs child, have to appeal to mothers in similar situations? Shouldn’t it be the opposite? Shouldn’t mothers who know how hard it is to cope with work plus family think she won’t be able to handle it? Or is it that Americans like heros for presidents and they need to project their dreams onto the person that leads them? That is perhaps what turns political campaigns into the marketing campaigns they are in the States - selling the dream!

Fact for the curious: The President of Spain is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. I think he’s married, but I have no clue what his wife’s name is, I don’t know how many children he has nor how old they are. And I really don’t care. I do know, however, what his views are on terrorism, immigration, education, health and family policies, and economy are, and that was all I needed to vote for his opponent!

So, the Great American Mystery still stands for me!

Its wonderful to hear how our European neighbors view the presidential race. I won’t even pretend to unravel the Great American Mystery for you, since it’s a mystery to me as well.

However, I’ll take a stab at it. Perhaps Americans do want a person or a family in the White House with whom they can relate or look up to. On the other hand there are those who ONLY want to talk about the issues. I think perhaps what Americans are looking at when they scrutinize a presidential candidate and their family is their value system in hopes to form a judgment about their morality. That is important to most American voters I think.

Thanks for your comments. I’m looking forward to reading your blog soon. Any progress?

Heather

Here is my admittedly liberal bias — I wouldn’t mind her being president of the local PTA but I am not sure I want her finger on the red button, “or answering the call at 1AM.” I don’t buy into the folksie stuff, and I have serious questions about her integrity — Her speech was full of misrepresentations; moreover, she seems to be getting a pass from the GOP regarding the bridge to nowhere and the suspicious circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the safety commissioner.

But at the end of the day, all of this is just fogging up the main issue that she is not qualified. That is probably the most disappointing thing about McCain’s choice is he could have picked someone with incredible experience — Kay Bailey Hutchinson; Elizabeth Dole, or a number of other women that have substantial experience and would be viewed beyond just being a woman.

I also don’t resonate with he whole folksie role. I myself don’t want someone like me — I want someone better than me, with better ethics, perspective, intellect etc… It may sound elitist, but I would rather have someone who has at least had some exposure to nichomachean ethics rather than one that places a copy of it as a decorator book on her mantle.

Cheers — tell Wade and the boys hello.

I agree, this is definately fun to watch. I was floored when McCain picked Palin to be his running mate. He couldn’t have made a more strategically sound choice in my opinion, and it’s paying off!

Blessings,
Wes

HFCS lnk of interest: http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2008/09/15/the_real_truth_about_high_fructose_corn_syrup.php