about (vice) presidential machinations
I participated in something called Veepstakes on Facebook, and Sarah Palin was the 3rd highest ranked Veep possibility for the Republicans. Apparently, Jane and Joe Public have a better sense of who could be selected than the pundits! In the Veepstakes, we got fake money to buy shares in the Veep candidates we thought were most likely to be selected (not who we liked!). I did buy Palin shares and made "money" on her!
Anyway, it caused me to read a bit about her - long before she was actually nominated - and I was impressed by her taking on the Republican establishment and oil interests. What I didn't like was her social politics. I still don't.
I also don't like how politics manages to make us choose sides and then often to demonize the other side. My experience of many Republicans is that they are very hostile to any questions or criticism of their positions. I've been shocked this election by the overt hostility expressed toward Obama by some of my long-time pals, and distressed by what I experience as a knee-jerk defense of Sarah Palin - LONG BEFORE KNOWING MUCH ABOUT HER!
I do respect that Palin has been in executive positions, regardless of their size. Having run organizations myself, I know that it does make a difference when you run something. I also worked with community organizers and in NYC government, so have some perspective on both of those arenas as well.
In my experience, community organizers learn more about how government actually works than almost anybody else in the world but some of those who actually are in government. I say "some of those" because there are many who just do their jobs and aren't aware of the levers of power and change. Organizers have to be aware of those things. So I'll say that Obama's background prepares him extremely well to be President.
Palin's management experience is irrelevant, anyway. She wouldn't be running anything except the VP's office. She wouldn't run the Senate; they have a Majority Leader and a Rules Committee to do that. All she could do is open sessions and break tie votes. Period. McCain would be President and he'll have a Chief of Staff who will actually manage the White House.
In a way, the way Obama has run his campaign tells me he's a much better manager than either of them. His people are very cohesive and in alignment. And clearly he's selected a great campaign manager (emphasis added!) He knows he doesn't need to be strong in everything and he's brought on people to complement him, so that the entire team is competent and capable of handling what comes along. But that's irrelevant, too.
Being President is sort of like perpetually being in campaign mode - pushing your agenda; persuading voters, legislators, the media, advocates, etc. of the rightness of your positions; and getting things passed. Then it's on to the next issue for the President. Cabinet Secretaries and their staff will be the ones actually managing the implementation of the various elements of any legislated change.
If it comes down to it, my opinion is that all 4 candidates probably are equally "managerially" qualified to be President. So the crux of the matter for me is their positions on key issues.
I believe strongly that we'll go backwards under McCain - in terms of our economy, our world position, and social policy. It's impossible for me to ever vote for someone who opposes choice of any kind because that's about abridging freedom rather than spreading it.
Anyway, it caused me to read a bit about her - long before she was actually nominated - and I was impressed by her taking on the Republican establishment and oil interests. What I didn't like was her social politics. I still don't.
I also don't like how politics manages to make us choose sides and then often to demonize the other side. My experience of many Republicans is that they are very hostile to any questions or criticism of their positions. I've been shocked this election by the overt hostility expressed toward Obama by some of my long-time pals, and distressed by what I experience as a knee-jerk defense of Sarah Palin - LONG BEFORE KNOWING MUCH ABOUT HER!
I do respect that Palin has been in executive positions, regardless of their size. Having run organizations myself, I know that it does make a difference when you run something. I also worked with community organizers and in NYC government, so have some perspective on both of those arenas as well.
In my experience, community organizers learn more about how government actually works than almost anybody else in the world but some of those who actually are in government. I say "some of those" because there are many who just do their jobs and aren't aware of the levers of power and change. Organizers have to be aware of those things. So I'll say that Obama's background prepares him extremely well to be President.
Palin's management experience is irrelevant, anyway. She wouldn't be running anything except the VP's office. She wouldn't run the Senate; they have a Majority Leader and a Rules Committee to do that. All she could do is open sessions and break tie votes. Period. McCain would be President and he'll have a Chief of Staff who will actually manage the White House.
In a way, the way Obama has run his campaign tells me he's a much better manager than either of them. His people are very cohesive and in alignment. And clearly he's selected a great campaign manager (emphasis added!) He knows he doesn't need to be strong in everything and he's brought on people to complement him, so that the entire team is competent and capable of handling what comes along. But that's irrelevant, too.
Being President is sort of like perpetually being in campaign mode - pushing your agenda; persuading voters, legislators, the media, advocates, etc. of the rightness of your positions; and getting things passed. Then it's on to the next issue for the President. Cabinet Secretaries and their staff will be the ones actually managing the implementation of the various elements of any legislated change.
If it comes down to it, my opinion is that all 4 candidates probably are equally "managerially" qualified to be President. So the crux of the matter for me is their positions on key issues.
I believe strongly that we'll go backwards under McCain - in terms of our economy, our world position, and social policy. It's impossible for me to ever vote for someone who opposes choice of any kind because that's about abridging freedom rather than spreading it.
posted by julieannerickson at 3:42 PM
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