RNC Delegates! A Warning: Don't Be Bamboozled

You gotta love the GOP! Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said, "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."

So, Mr. Romney, have you been frozen in a time capsule for the past 8 years, or are we in the Twilight Zone? Is George W. Bush not a conservative Republican? Has the Republican party not been the congressional majority for nearly the entirety of the past 2 terms?

Ah, the irony of it all.

And then there's Sarah Palin. One week since the announcement of her selection, and we can't say that the Veep candidate has had a good start. Analysts had a field day (and subsequently a whole weekend) picking apart McCain's decision to recruit her as a running mate. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Bristol Palin, the Governor's 17-year old daughter, is pregnant - much to the disapproval of some of the American public. Then, on day 2 of the Republican Convention, Palin made her national debut and gave a speech that was met with mixed reviews. Sadly, many of the preliminary critiques painted her as a politician who stretched the truth. Out of fairness to Governor Palin, many of those in her arena - regardless of party affiliation - are known to embellish the truth for the purpose of fueling their own political agendas. The media scrutinized her every word and past actions, from her personal spending activities to federal spending proposals. Her attempt to discredit Obama's reform record shined a spotlight on her own meager accomplishments, or rather, lack thereof.

Fortunately, Palin's background in media and journalism has polished her public speaking skills and overall presence on stage. Oh, and the mudslinging; she has proven she can do that, too. How can anyone question Palin's relevancy to this race? With the right mix of image, dirt, arrogance, flip-flopping, and a touch of controversy, she totally fits right in.

Election Drama

This morning's buzz was not only around the spectacular oration by Senator Obama at the Democratic Convention last night, but also surrounding Senator McCain's announcement of vice-presidential running mate Sarah Palin. Governor Palin becomes the first female to run on a Republican ticket, and also the first Alaskan to grace a national election. Her VP run may be significant for the GOP, but her background brings some ambiguity about her ability to contribute effectively on a larger scale to a new administration.

The selection of Palin serves as a strategy that the McCain Team believes might dissuade the Hilary Clinton loyalists into changing their votes, particularly in an election with blurred party lines and overall indecision. And although Palin's VP candidacy seems deliberately intended to bait Clinton voters, it also puts McCain in a new light as a pragmatic political realist. This is politics after all, and this election is about reform. What better way to position the GOP candidate than as progressive? This in stark contrast to the 'old boys' club' image that McCain's candidacy perpetuates. The McCain-Palin ticket is an indirect response to the question of, as Obama had eloquently put, how a 21st century democracy can be run by a 20th century bureaucracy. Clearly, the answer is it cannot.

In fact, the ultimate victor in this election may be perfectly suited to serve as the catalyst for change, for more reasons than the obvious. I can't imagine that an election as historic and as dramatic as this could ever be followed by a ho-hum administration. Two terms of Bush has been enough, so subsequently any change is good. I personally am still undecided, so it will be interesting to see how both parties' platforms pan out.