Foregin reponse editorial from "The Austrailian": Palin a "Reckless pick"

[book_worm]

ALLIES like Australia have reason to be worried about John McCain's vice-presidential pick.

One doesn't wish McCain ill, but if he wins in November, at 72 he will be the oldest president to enter the White House. He's had bouts of cancer, including aggressive surgery on his face to remove a melanoma.

Imagine the scenario, heaven forbid, if he were to die in his first few months in office. Sarah Palin, with no foreign policy experience and untested on the national and international stage, would be calling the shots, setting policy on US engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan, where our Diggers are, or have been, in harm's way.

It would make a president McCain's decision on who is secretary of state, defence secretary and national security adviser even more important than it usually is.

What McCain has done in selecting Palin is an entirely political decision to win him the general election, which proves again that self-interest always triumphs in politics.

But in terms of foreign policy, in which Australia has most interest, this is a reckless move and potentially stressful toour alliance in the event that early in the next administration Palin were elevated to the presidency.

The comeback from the McCain campaign is that Barack Obama is even less experienced than Palin. As a political argument, this is understandable and worth running, but it is intellectually dishonest.

You don't pull off what Obama has done in the past 18 months and not be qualified to lead. In fact, this is what the whole process is about - testing candidates in the public glare seven days a week for nearly two years so Americans can make their judgment on who should lead their parties.

Obama has passed that test with his party's voters, and is now being tested again against McCain in the general election.

Obama's intellectual heft plus his state department in waiting - about 300 foreign policy advisers are already signed on to his team - shores up his credentials.

And his pick of Joe Biden, 65, as his VP means that should Obama come to harm, the US and its allies will have in a president Biden - a life-long senator and two-time presidential candidate - an expert in foreign policy and international relations.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24271964-2703,00.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. I am still stunned by this decision--so is the rest of the world. This will be

a test of just how fucking stupid Americans are, in November.

[trashcanistanista]

6. I could not be happier with Palin as the VP pick.

If Obama does nothing but stand back, the contrast between the two parties couldn't be clearer. McCain has fully exposed the insane theocratic leaning of the re thugs to the point of absurdity, something that * wasn't willing to, except through code words to the base. The repubs have become a caricature and a joke and Palin is the gift that will keep on giving. She has created a media storm - they are laughing OPENLY about her, on the major news networks and talking unfavorably about her qualifications. They cannot take this back at this point. This has been alive for only 48 hrs on a holiday weekend. I can't wait until next week when I think Gustav will not be the only American catastrophe in the news. McCain has destroyed his only two maverick talking points - the experience issue and the environmental maverick issue. Wait until they start showing aerial hunting videos with Palin holding the gun. Not to mention Polar bears. Who doesn't love polar bears?

This will get ugly fast, and I don't even think Obama or even Biden have to lift a finger to accelerate it. They can continue to campaign uninterrupted and some more people will pay a little bit more attention to them. Count on it that the media will take care of the rest. I expect the National Enquirer to jump in within the week as well. It will be smooth sailing right up to November for Dems. Americans are stupid, but, not in the numbers that McCain and Palin need and that was their gross miscalculation.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. It is very important that we get out the information on Palin

Her lack of judgment with her own family by flying to give a speech when she was 7 months pregnant with a child she knew would be special needs.

Her self-described lack of knowledge about the role of the Vice President

Her membership in an extremist organization that wants not only to outlaw all abortions, but also to make birth control (even by married couples) illegal.

[ErinBerin84]

3. k& r

I hadn't even thought of what some world leaders would think about the Palin pick...they have a right to be worried too.

[Cha]

4. Okay..I really like this summary..

"The comeback from the McCain campaign is that Barack Obama is even less experienced than Palin. As a political argument, this is understandable and worth running, but it is intellectually dishonest.

You don't pull off what Obama has done in the past 18 months and not be qualified to lead. In fact, this is what the whole process is about - testing candidates in the public glare seven days a week for nearly two years so Americans can make their judgment on who should lead their parties.

Obama has passed that test with his party's voters, and is now being tested again against McCain in the general election.

Obama's intellectual heft plus his state department in waiting - about 300 foreign policy advisers are already signed on to his team - shores up his credentials.

And his pick of Joe Biden, 65, as his VP means that should Obama come to harm, the US and its allies will have in a president Biden - a life-long senator and two-time presidential candidate - an expert in foreign policy and international relations."

Maybe now Americans will realize that republicans such as fred thompson, joe lieberman, and the corporatemediawhore$ lie just to keep practicing.

[screembloodymurder]

5. The very fact that she was selected shows how meaningless

our vote has become. Those in power are not concerned about Palin as President because they know she will do as she is told.