Let me start with a confession: I have an addiction. Yes, an addiction to Sarah Palin. And it's not healthy (what addiction is??). I can't get enough of her. It's like when you drive by an accident; it's sad, gory, unpleasant in so many ways, but you cannot turn away!
Whether it's speculation about her pregnancy, her hunting practices, her reading habits, her beauty pageant experience, or even her lips, for crying out loud, I can't get enough.
She's a big bully, and a liar. And, did I mention a freak? My five year old twins understand more about evolution, dinosaurs, and global warming science than she does. And they know more about reproduction than she teaches her children! She can't name a newspaper she reads or a supreme court case! How did this woman ever get this far?
So why, why, I ask you, am I so obsessed with her? Is it because she's supposedly attractive (not my type)? Or that we are about the same age?? Some might suggest I am jealous that I am not the SuperMom Governor she is. Maybe, what I am really obsessed with is the fact that Americans LET her get this far. My fellow citizens actually LIKE her and think she is qualified to be VP. That is pathetic.
I work in academia, so by GOP standards, I am an elitist, and proudly so. I have more degrees than Palin, and so does Jessica. You probably do, too. I want my public servants to be educated AND experienced. I WANT them to know more than I know. Sure it might be nice if they also understood what it was like to be a working mom or care for kids/aging parents/whatever, but that doesn't mean they should be "just like me," or that being an average hockey mom is somehow qualification in and of itself. Here's an excerpt from a recent post of mine:
Call me an elitist (I prefer to be called a thinking person), but I like my candidates for the executive branch to have more than just a bachelor's degree. I admit that I do favor law degrees especially. Studying law helps you understand, write, and pass laws. A BA in journalism...sorry, it just doesn't cut it unless it's outdone (by many years) by experience on the national level. And a BA in journalism means you should know how the media works, and what it means to do their job.
So, I am beside myself with anticipation for tomorrow night's VP Debate on PBS. Obama's team is trying to raise our expectations so she has a higher bar to jump over, but I don't think it's working. I am going to be praying that Biden doesn't run his mouth too much, as much as I tend to love it when he does. I plan to be watching with a friend and fellow addict while live blogging (maybe on Blue Hampshire), and chatting on Facebook. Because I just cannot turn away.
