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• Sunday, August 31, 2008 09:04 AM

  The main problem with McTemper's Palin pick

  Joe Klein on Swampland (see sig) explains the real problem with the Palin pick by McTemper. The drubbing that Klein took from Glenn, had its affect and I admire Klein for listening.

  Indeed, the Palin pick reflects the most dangerous tendencies in McCain's foriegn policy--the tendency to react, to overreact, to crises, without thinking it through. It also reflects a defiant, adolescent "screw you" attitude toward governance. I always thought McCain's best choice for vice president was Rob Portman--the former Congressman and Office of Management and Budget director from Ohio. Portman is smooth, attractive, extremely smart, reliably conservative, but he also knows how the federal government works. His experience as OMB director would have enabled McCain to say, "I've picked a guy who knows where all the bodies are buried, where all the waste is." The Ohio part of the program wouldn't have hurt McCain in locking down that crucial state, either. But the pick would have been seen as safe, unexciting--and John McCain doesn't like safe. Which is a real problem in a President.

  Again, this is not to disparage Palin. Her views seem very extreme to me--teaching "intelligent design" in schools?--but she may turn out to be a invigorating public presence, with the ability to learn fast (she's going to have to do the latter). The problem is, there is absolutely no way on earth that John McCain can know what sort of person she really is, which is why this choice--his first major presidential decision--should be a matter of real concern for all Americans. He has proven himself, yet again, ready on day one--to shoot from the hip.

  http://time-blog.com/swampland/?xid=newsletter-daily

  —Retired Military Patriot Read Retired Military Patriot's other letters
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