I’ve had a full 24 hours to digest the news about McCain choosing the Alaskan governor, Sarah Palin, as the choice for his Vice Presidential running mate. While I like to focus on markets, homebrewing, and my running (something I haven’t mentioned much lately), my blogging career, if you want to call it that, was launched on the eve of the last general election so I want to say a few words about this election and then move back to my center. Thanks for bearing with me.

The initial reaction that I saw and read was one of disbelief, mostly from women, who were saying that McCain must think that women are stupid for thinking this choice will win over women voters. I was traveling to see clients yesterday so I got an earful of pundits on the radio and the television channels (I have XM radio in the car so I can hear the t.v.), who all had a different and very incorrect take on McCain’s selection.

The last election in which Bush beat the socialist senator from Massachusetts (not Kennedy, but the other socialist) was won by energizing the conservative base, not, as some have incorrectly said this weekend, by pandering to the “undecided middle.” It irks me to no end that the undecided middle of this country has so much pull in politics, but my lack of patience for people who cannot make simple decisions is a subject for another post.

While I was catching up on my reading this morning, I found that a trader that I occasionally read actually had the nerve to say that McCain’s choice was irresponsible given his age and the likelihood that this inexperienced governor of Alaska might have to takeover office before his term(s) expire. While some centrist and leftist women in this country may be upset with McCain’s choice, seeing it as some sort of ploy to win their votes, the trader’s “irresponsible” comment was over the top.

I do not plan to be a vocal supporter of Sarah Palin, but the research that I have done regarding this choice for V.P. actually had me excited for the conservative party yesterday. A few bullet points may help you understand my view, as this choice fits right in with my view of who would be a perfect choice for high office. Otherwise I was likely to throw my vote away on Ron Paul, who is actually on record as saying that writing his name in for President would be irresponsible because he stands no chance of winning against the monstrosity we call the two-party political machine.

Of the four candidates for high office, McCain, Obama, Biden, and Palin, Sarah Palin is the only one with executive experience. The other three have merely been senators, and regardless of how long they have been in Washington, they are still merely elected officials who have been sucking off the gubmint teet in various lengths of service. Not one of the other three has ever held an executive office, elected or otherwise, as head of their own company or at the top of a government organization, let alone a State in these United States.

McCain, while I’m sure he would love to woo the undecided women in the center of the political spectrum, was more concerned about the missing conservative base that elected George Bush. Without that base, no amount of disenchanted Hillary voters or undecideds would ever carry McCain to the White House. Palin, as his pick for V.P., wins back and energizes that base. The wife and I, and a client who I visited with yesterday, before yesterday were all going to throw away our vote on Ron Paul in protest. By choosing Palin, McCain just brought us back under the conservative tent.

A few qualities to note about Palin that McCain knew conservatives wanted, or at least knew that most of the conservative base wants:

Executive experience.
A firm backer of the Second Amendment.
Pro-life, and a working mother of five.
A steam roller over corruption, she vetoed several pork barrel spending bills brought to her by her state legislature.
And, the winning note comes in the form of her decision making regarding legislation, she actually checks the constitutionality of a bill before signing it into law or vetoing it.

You undecideds should check your inability to make a decision at the door, as Sarah Palin is actually a woman that you could respect (if you could make up your darned mind) because she speaks her mind and stands up for the right thing, all the time. She does not pander to polling data, or vote according to whatever political winds may be blowing or in which direction they may be headed. This pick of McCain’s was not only a stroke of political genius in the big chess game of getting elected to the white house, but he doesn’t have to rely on the undecideds to get him there.

Congratulations Senator, you won back a very big portion of the conservative base with your choice, which includes many of my friends and me. To finish this rant I’d just like to borrow and rephrase a ridiculous comment that I heard during the last two elections, If Obama wins the election, then I’m moving to Alaska.

Cheers, and Godspeed to John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Said Uncle Jack @ 12:08 pm | Permalink   

1. Two of the four have executive experience. If you only consider working in the belly of the political machine as gaining executive experience, I’ll give you that.

   Running a large military outfit is something that encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, the most significant of which is being , at any moment, having to make literal life and death decisions, just like the Commander-in-Chief has to do. Possibly, and argument can be made that law enforcement leaders come close, too, but I think there isn’t too many units that are tactically engaged of the size one would have in a military position.

   In fact, I’d submit essentially no elected official, with the one exception of the Commander-in-Chief, will ever truly have that responsibility, therefore, a strong argument for “experience” would be that one have served. The forefathers did not see this as necessary, but that’s the only place.

   Anyhow, John McCain has had to plumb the depths of his own soul as few others would and will ever have to do. He, in my opinion, has experiences with the nature of humanity that will allow sound judgment in the performance of his duties.

   As far as Joe and BhO: They got nothing. They don’t even have business executive experience to use as a foundation.

   Comment by xformed — 8/30/2008 @ 12:25 pm

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2. Note most leadership skills & training first originate in the military - the reason is that it takes a greater level of leadership to lead men into battle than any other endeavor. There are exceptions with corporate level initiatives and the like ala productivity based, but, en large, many / best leadership skills training originates in the military.

   Comment by Steven W. — 8/30/2008 @ 12:55 pm

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3. McCain taps Alaska governor for VP

   John McCain tapped Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a conservative who shares his maverick streak, to be the

   Trackback by Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator — 8/30/2008 @ 5:17 pm

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4. Which two have executive experience? To my knowledge only Palin has it.

   Comment by Cao — 8/30/2008 @ 8:33 pm

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5. […] She is refreshing and as Uncle Jack said in this post, Palin is turning the conservative base who was formerly disgusted by McCain, –around to voting for him. […]

   Pingback by the audacity of hype : Stop The ACLU — 8/31/2008 @ 7:22 am

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6. […] She is refreshing and as Uncle Jack said in this post, Palin is turning the conservative base who was formerly disgusted by McCain, –around to voting for him. […]

   Pingback by the audacity of hype « Cao2’s Weblog — 8/31/2008 @ 7:24 am

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7. Senator/CAPT (USN, RET) McCain has plenty of executive experience. As I noted, in a professional field where it is highly likely you will send your subordinates to their death, every day, on purpose. What’s not “executive” about that?

   Lemme see: Truman (Army), Eisenhower (Army), Kennedy (Navy), Johnson (Navy), Nixon (Navy), Ford (Navy), Carter (Navy), Reagan (Army), Bush ‘41 (Navy), Clinton (nada), Bush ‘43 (Air Force/ANG), McCain (Navy)/Obama (”community organizer”). Consider the accomplishments. On balance, I suspect you’ll concur it is the exception of those with a military background to not be in a list of great Presidents. Must be something to the “experience” that assists in running a very large, 24/7 operation…

   The thing about the armed forces, unlike just about any civilian endeavor, is you’re responsible for the subordinates total care, and that of their families, too. Pay, shelter, food, welfare, counseling, performance evaluation, training, equipment allocation, safety, clothing/grooming, promotion (you’re directly involved in this, especially for the non-starters), medical care, dental care, vision care, physical fitness, and the list keeps going. Toss in the requirement to expend and account for same, public dollars (as money and equipment or consumables or services) in a responsible and legal manner. 24/7 responsibility is just another day’s work for a leaders, in the non-commissioned officer’s ratings, as well as the officers, in the service.

   “It’s not my job” gets you passed over. How many civil servants and elected officials can point to the office down the hall and get away with it…oh, yeah! They do!

   McCain’s POW executive experience is something few will ever have, and no one could even pay for the “school.” It only came during conflict, and he required him to enforce and manage a chain of command under the worst of circumstances. On top of that, functioning on his way up to the rank of Captain (Equivalent to the other services Colonel), he had many positions of executive responsibility, to include the largest Navy air squadron there was. Don’t you think that counts?

   Comment by xformed — 9/1/2008 @ 3:53 pm

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