Sat - August 30, 2008Vice Presidential PoliticsSo McCain nominated an unknown for vice
president.
Some people wonder, how can he nominate someone so unknown? Well, name one person who is known who is better! Joe Biden? Okay, Biden is a plagiarist, weasel, and down right stupid on foreign policy. He blusters well, but if you examine what he says it's invariably devoid of intelligence. So what do I think of Biden as a vice president? Eh, he's okay. If something terrible were to happen and B. Hussein were elected and then he were to no longer be in office for whatever reason, what would I think of Biden as a president? Eh. He's okay, certainly better than that outright marxist racist Obama. Accepting that I don't agree with Biden, I recognize that he would serve well enough as president. As would McCain. As would most of the democrat party candidates this year. Obama has ties too close to domestic terrorists and marxists for me to feel comfortable with and the Clintons are just power crazy and I don't trust them. I disagree with almost every syllable I've ever heard Biden utter but I can't object to him as being unqualified for the job. But what would anyone mean when they talk about qualifications for the job? Unless you've been a president, you can't
possibly have the experience of having been one before. Being governor of a
state is not even close, no matter how big the state. And being in congress is
a negative for the job. What are the duties of president that can help us
understand qualifications?
Let's see what the job description says, in the order they are mentioned in that document: • Sign Bills into law, or veto them. • Commander in Chief of the military. • May require the Opinion, in writing, of heads of Executive Departments • Grant reprieves and pardons. • Make treaties, with advice and consent of the Senate. • Nominate Ambassadors, and other public ministers and counsuls, judges of the Supreme Court and other officers not otherwise provided for • Fill vacancies of such positions that occur during recesses of Congress. • Give a report on the State of the Union. • In extraordinary circumstances he can convene both houses of Congress, or adjourn them to a later time. • Receive Ambassadors and other ministers • Take care that laws are faithfully executed • Shall commission all officers of the United States. That's it. There ain't no more, Constitutionally that is. The only part that requires any skill beyond having a political opinion is the second one, commander in chief. In theory, this was meant to be the man who is in charge of the military and leads any war effort, ideally on horseback with a saber. An understanding of tactics and military power is critical. But how many presidents have we had that had military experience? Precious few. Biden has never been in the military. Obama's never even had a job, let alone be in the military. No one expects the president to be a military genius. So what do people mean when they demand or at least expect that presidential nominees have experience? I'm not sure, but I think it means that the nominee should be a trusted member of a political machine. I'm not sure I like that qualification. It's a requirement that mostly comes from a very interested press corps and from the political machines themselves. I don't think being part of a political machine is a good thing. What do political machines deliver for us? People like Biden, Romney, Giuliani, Clinton, all just variations on Bob Dull. Oh, did I misspell his name? It's so hard to keep that straight. Truth be told, McCain is a product of a political machine. And so is Obama, and even our newest addition to the game, Sarah Palin. But Palin is much less beholden to that machine than anyone else in the game. This makes her more of a liability to the political machines, and more dangerous to their hold on power. So there are two reasons why someone like Palin isn't often added to a ticket. One is that they can be a threat to the machine because they haven't been established in the pecking order and good old boy/girl system of getting and receiving favors. The other is that they can be unpredictable in what they believe and what they say or have said or done in the past. But there are good reasons for picking a dark horse, too. Palin has energized the republican party. Tired of having to pick between absolute bores like Romney and Giuliani and Dull and McCain who all too frequently have failed to live up to the small government ideals that republicans give lip service to, Americans can now look at this fresh face, and hope and pray that some of that idealism still exists in her. So if Palin is not an established member of a political machine (and her slashing experience in Alaska proves that) then how will she get anything done? How can she wheel and deal and wheedle favors and pay out power? Well, let's hope she can't. Frankly, if the federal government doesn't pass one more law for the next twenty years, I'll be happy. But that ability usually exists in people regardless of their experience level. This is a skill that is personality driven. Time alone will tell us if she has that skill. But if she doesn't, then I'm fine with it. I'm still a one issue voter. Whoever convinces me that they intend to do the most to destroy fanatical Islam will get my vote. I'll risk anything else in the meantime, but I trust in our system to protect our rights as they protect our security. And if we have a vice president and potential president that does only that, I'll be very pleased. Go Back to the Start, Do Not Collect $200 Send me your two cents | |