Palin choice appeases right

Palin choice appeases right

By Tom Zirpoli, Carroll County Times Columnist Wednesday, September 03, 2008

I believe the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin reinforces Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's argument that Sen. John McCain will govern like President Bush.

In selecting Palin, McCain continued the Bush doctrine of ideology over competence. If McCain thinks Palin is ready to be vice president of the United States, I'm frightened to see who he will pick to run FEMA.

My guess is that McCain wanted to pick someone he knew and trusted, like former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge or Sen. Joe Liberman. Both of these men would have attracted moderate and independent voters. But their selection would have upset the core conservative base of the Republican Party, and apparently McCain was not willing to go down that path.

Instead, he selected the governor of Alaska, who he hardly knows, but who has three primary qualifications: She is conservative, she is young and she is a she.

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Read the rest of Dr. Zirpoli’s column here: Palin choice appeases right

Tom Zirpoli writes from Westminster. His column appears Wednesdays. E-mail him at tzirpoli AT mcdaniel DOT edu

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2008/09/03/news/opinion/opinion/opinion516.txt

20080903 Palin choice appeases right by Tom Zirpoli