Opinions on my first high school newspaper article? (Palin-related)

[dubeskin]

So, I was asked to write for the school newspaper, of course in my Senior year. Couldn't have done it any earlier! But to start it off, I wrote about Palin and how she just won us the election. Please critique it all you like, but I really tried to deliver it in a way that would be simple to fairly uninformed, conservative-leaning high schoolers.

Thanks So Much John! The Democrats Have Just Won the 2008 Election

Recently the Democrats wrapped up their National Convention in Denver with a rousing and thoroughly inspiring speech made by the nominee, Barack Obama. For anyone with doubts about the kind of “change” he was going to bring, it’s packaged as lower taxes on the lower and middle class, a universal health care plan for EVERY American, without a cut in pay, alternative energy sources to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and most importantly, a plan to leave Iraq. As the hour turned to Friday, McCain’s running mate was announced: Sarah Louise Heath Palin. Even the pundits didn’t know who she was; let alone how to pronounce her name correctly. The most anyone knew about her was that she was the Governor of Alaska, inaugurated in 2006, and a former beauty queen (which is probably what contributes to her so called “MILF-ness”). Well, as the weekend approached, facts started to pour in on her, from the several “flip-flops” to the scandals and hypocrisies of her administration.
From 1992-2002, Palin worked on the Wasilla City Council as a member and then mayor. Now, here’s some background information on Wasilla. It’s a small Alaskan town of less than 7,000 people, with all the amenities of a small town. What’s even better, is that in Palin’s course as Wasilla mayor, she left the town with a $20 million deficit, attempted to ban books from the library, and abused her power by firing the librarian and police chief for “not supporting her administration.” Now, take notice, that these abuses occurred in a town of less than 7,000 people; just imagine the havoc she could wreak on a nation.
Palin then ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2002, unsuccessfully, and ran for Governor successfully in 2006. As Governor, she worked for bills to allow aerial hunting of wolves, pushed to have polar bears removed form the list of endangered animals, supported the “Bridge to Nowhere” (which she now denies she did), and is currently under investigation for abuse of power for trying to fire the public safety commissioner (who just happened to be her ex-brother-in-law).
Palin represents a true conservative Republican: she is anti-abortion 100%, she opposes gay marriage, she supports gun rights to the fullest extent, she wants creationism taught in school alongside evolution, and is for drilling in ANWR, the Alaskan Nature and Wildlife Reserve, disrupting thousands of species’ habitats and the beautiful natural landscape. As well, she is deeply enriched in foreign policy – she’s been to Kuwait, Germany, and Canada, and Ireland (although that was a layover from the flight from Germany).
So, assuming that she was vetted properly, which she wasn’t, McCain picked Sarah Palin because she’s a female with foreign policy experience, deep conservative values, and a reformer. Except that none of those really can apply. I’ve been to more countries than she has, and most likely conducted more relations than she has. Her “conservative values” can hardly apply, because her daughter Bristol got pregnant…and she’s only 17! So apparently abstinence-only education (which Palin is a proponent of) fails and the whole “no sex before marriage thing” taught by the Bible, which is highly inaccurate, fails as well. Sarah Palin doesn’t respect “God’s creatures” and so feels the need to hunt them aerially. So much for the morals. Furthermore, the most reform she has done is leave a town with less than 7,000 people with a $20 million debt and raise taxes on the lower class while assisting corporations. Which reminds me, did you know that Palin’s husband works for BP, a notorious oil company? Lastly, one can assume she was chosen because she is female, thus attempting to pander to the bitter Hillary supporters. Except that several supporters have actually been convinced to vote for Obama now, citing that “ is no Hillary, and does not stand for the values that Mrs. Clinton supported.” So John McCain has effectively picked a running mate
1. He has only met with once before at a meeting in March about Alaskan drilling.
2. Who is surrounded in scandal and corruption in her own tiny state of less than 600,000 people.
3. That has consistently changed her opinions on issues such as the “Bridge to Nowhere” and several other Alaskan projects
4. Whose daughter is pregnant and unmarried, and only 17.
5. That has little to no foreign policy experience and is a proponent of banning books.
6. Who has been a Governor for less than two years, who was mayor of a town with less people than those who attend Stanford, and is running on the experience she acquired from the City Council and PTA.
7. Who was a former member of the Alaskan Independence Party which wanted to secede from America.
8. Which wants to bring religion into government, clearly violating the most precious Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the First.
By picking such an ignorant, unknown, and radical running mate, John McCain has ensured an Obama/Biden victory. Even prominent conservative talk-show host Michael Savage opposes the pick, saying, “McCain has thrown the election. It is clear now with his choice for Vice President that he has no desire to win in November. Why else would he chose an inexperienced woman, whose only apparent qualification is that she won a beauty pageant in the 1980s?” This new ticket appeals to those who were going to vote Republican no matter what. But it is purely an unsuccessful pander to women voters.
In fact, according to a recent CBS poll, Obama has a lead of ten points over McCain, and that’s after the announcement. After an unfortunate viewing of the Republican National “Convention” (I do that because there is nowhere near the excitement nor attendance of the DNC), it’s clear to see the Republicans are running on a platform of “We’re not Bush, see?!” In fact, Bush and Cheney can’t make it to the convention, which is no surprise at all. It will be interesting to see how McCain handles dodging the fact that he is no Maverick, and in actuality voted with Bush over 90% of the time. That’s not change, and 8 years of the failed Bush policies is enough. In the words of Mrs. Hillary Clinton, “No way, no how, no McCain!”

[zeemike]

1. I think you did good

But there is one thing I think I would do differently and that is the use of the word ignorant.
And although it is obviously true it is always better to use some les charged words that mean the same like uninformed or something or just not say it at all and let your facts and words leave the impression.
But all in all I liked it