Let's get down to brass tacks here: the voters of Alaska have not always exercised good judgment in elections. There are several examples of this, most notably, they continue to elect Ted Stevens, who has been embroiled in controversy for years, has highly questionable ethics and was recently indicted on several counts of "lying". And these people voted for him AGAIN, as he won his primary this week... So, the voters of Alaska also elected Palin, which does not exactly inspire great confidence. I really can't believe McCain tapped her - this seems to give the Obama camp an enormous opportunity, which I hope they take full advantage of.

We assume that the Palin children hear about "family values" at home, but that assumption is only valid if someone is around to impart those values. If mom is busy running the state and dad is on a fishing trawler or working on the pipeline, who is teaching the values? The right-wing, evangelical Republicans are big on trashing liberals for allegedly not teaching their kids about family values, drugs, sex, etc. - they love to generalize that the "bad" kids who get into trouble come from liberal homes where parents don't pay attention, or just don't care. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, but it's less likely when kids receive the appropriate education about sex and birth control, and aren't just preached at to abstain. As someone else mentioned, these things happen, but let's not pretend it's some wonderful event here - another teen pregnancy is just sad, no matter who your family is.

This should not be about a pregnant teenager. This discussion should really be about the Mother/Governor/would-be vice- president. Sarah Palin is a governor who has said she would only support abstinence-only education in Alaska's schools. She said no one should even approach her about "sex education" in the schools because she would not consider those proposals. And we are talking here about only one issue - who knows how many other issues she takes inflexible positions on...I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg. I don't know about everyone else, but this inflexibility and unwillingness to consider other points of view is not a characteristic I view as suitable in a leader of any kind. An effective leader takes the time to weigh all options and opinions and makes educated decisions. A strong leader does not dictate policy based solely on his or her isolated beliefs, he or she works to build consensus. The bottom line is, Sarah Palin is not the type of leader this country needs as the person who is one step away from being President.

I will tell you why I am angry. I pay my bills, I pay my mortgage on time, I pay my taxes. I save and invest where I can, and cut unnecessary expenses when appropriate. I play by the rules, I do everything I am supposed to do - like MILLIONS of others in this country - and get NOTHING in return. Not that I expect anything, other than my tax dollars being put to good use and my investments being wisely managed, neither of which is happening. But for the legions of people and institutions that wrecklessly play by their own rules for their own selfish gain, they get bailed out, golden parachutes, signing bonuses, etc., and ride into the sunset. And it leaves those of us who play by the rules wondering, simmering and stewing, because this is the polar opposite of the "American Dream". We work hard, do what we're supposed to do, save a little money, and in the blink of an eye because of someone's utter greed and stupidity, we lose our nest eggs. And we want to know - DEMAND TO KNOW - what is the next president going to do for US?