Sarah Palin rises to rock star status
Sarah Palin rises to rock star status
by Carol Henrichs
The Republican National Convention may be over, but its effects may be felt for a very long time.
Choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate was a brilliant move by Sen. John McCain whose campaign desperately needed a shot in the arm.
Palin certainly shored up the campaign causing John McCain to soar in the polls. Few are even looking at him, the man vying for President of the United States. Instead all eyes are focused on his running mate, the young, good-looking, sharp-tongued, rebel who, if elected, could be a heartbeat away from living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
It is amazing how this arguably unknown governor, called the most popular governor in the country by Republican pundits, has risen to rock-star status in a very short amount of time.
As a student of politics, I have watched both conventions, followed news reports on television and in print. I never miss a debate. I read blogs and talk to other people about their views.
Yes, Sarah Palin is a woman. But supporting her just because she is a woman cheapens the hard-fought, substantive struggle so many women have waged for equal rights.
Support for Palin should be because of her views, not just because she is a woman, or that she is young and good-looking, or because she is able to be biting and sarcastic about her opponents.
Palin's views certainly presents a sharp contrast to those of the Democrats. And in some cases, her views differ from McCain himself. She is pro-life and favors contraception being taught in school. His pro-life stance is all about abstinence only. She favors drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. He opposes it. McCain is quick to decry congressional earmarks — money added legislatively to congressional spending bills. McCain has even voted against pork barrel spending on requests from Gov. Palin through U.S. Rep. Ted Stevens, R-AK.
It is alarming that this all-important election, when the country and the world is facing so many vital challenges, confronted by so many important issues, that the American people seem to be blurring the lines between politics and entertainment, dulling the substance that is so necessary in the process of choosing our leaders.
Long believing that the government is a reflection of the people governed, I am afraid that study of issues and fighting for America's freedoms so often talked about, are eroding in favor of far less substantial notions, like those that gave instant rise to Palin's status.
Out-and-out lies are being told through campaign literature. Few are challenged by an uninformed electorate, causing some to be believed. But worse than a lack of study is a lack of interest in the national debate.
National news media tries to unearth facts, but often times tries too hard or not hard enough in some cases. The public has grown cynical, because perhaps there is too much news to absorb, people feel the media is biased or news is skewed due to the hands of corporate control. Much of the news is redundant in an effort to fill time slots or gear coverage toward prime time. Sound bites, clever headlines, and out-of-context pictures seem to drive the information stream. Even debates are often times contrived, framed by too many rules.
Everybody is an expert. Crystal ball predictions, poll numbers, and political spin, not to mention scandal, both real and imagined, can make or break a campaign in the blink of an eye. It is difficult to know who to listen to, whose opinion to trust. How can the truth be untangled from the myriad stories?
A good place to begin is on the Internet at: http://www.factcheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania and is funded by the Annenberg Foundation, meaning it accepts no money from labor, businesses, political parties or individuals.
Or when your email inbox fills with nasty accusations, this website may help sift through what is truth and what is not: http://www.truthorfiction.com.
This year, it seems more important than ever to have an educated electorate. Before you vote, read, learn, listen, and study. Know for whom it is you cast your ballot.
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