Neither John McCain nor Governor Palin are entitled to our respect or our vote. A 72 year old man with recurrent melanoma who would be President and who selects as his running mate a candidate like Palin is anything but worthy. Such a man puts political expedience and self interest before the security and other interests of the nation. Be assured that I would say the same of anyone, especially a Democrat, who acted with such malevolent disregard for the country.

McCain's selection of Palin is a despicable and unforgivable act, for melanoma is known to be especially lethal and the likelihood of McCain's running mate having to assume the office of President is significantly greater than is usually the case. The bottom line is that McCain will say and do anything to get the White House, including putting the nation's security at great risk.

As for Governor Palin, had she the wisdom, judgment and love for country that she professes to have, she would also have had the integrity to decline McCain's absurdity. Instead, she, too, puts self interest before the nation and, in doing so, joins in McCain's folly, possibly to the nation's great detriment.

By the way, it's not just her total lack of experience in international affairs and national security that we should be concerned about. She is far to the right of McCain, politically, and the type of person she would appoint to the Supreme Court would change life as we have know it for decades and, perhaps, forever.

I'm not just talking about criminalizing abortion, which she would attempt to do in a heartbeat. I'm talking about the curtailing of civil liberties, the strengthening of the Imperial Presidency, the further empowering and enriching of big business at the expense of average Americans.

More and more, of late, I find myself wondering how women like Retrobee, historically liberal or moderate in their politics, some supposedly Democrats and some supposedly HRC supporters, just don't seem to care about all this. I know they understand the ramifications of a McCain victory. To me, McCain's choice of running cannot be and should not be justified or rationalized. It is a travesty, and no more.

We simply think she is a horrifying VP choice. Some of us have no doubt she is smart and savvy about the issues she has bothered with. Some of us didn't even drink all the Obama Koolaid®. Some of us do not like what we are hearing and reading about her stands on fundamental issues like Health Care (does she even HAVE a real stand), energy CONSERVATION other than drilling, (no, I'm not talking about Polar Bears), creationism coupled with rigid anti-choice beliefs. (I love to think of her being President in charge of a Supreme Court Justice Choice)

I don't care what gender she is. I have always been a bit nervous about Obama's inexperience governing, but I don't see that Palin's experience governing is some sort of magnificent achievement. It don't think it qualifies her MORE in that department than Obama.

I see she has been consistent in her belief system. Seems Obama has, too. (McCain, on the other hand? But that's another issue.)I just happen to find Palin's stands on issues thoroughly revolting to think of anywhere NEAR the oval office. She'll learn at the feet of THE MASTER? Did she really say that, or is it a trumped up comment from the blogosphere?

Stu, not all of us think we are smarter than every conservative. Not by a long shot. But some of us find the thought of McCain/Palin as even more dangerous than McCain and someone else. I loathe the comments about her looks or her beauty queen status, or the clearly PhotoShop'd picture someone or other is circulating. She should be judged on her merits...

Or, IN MY OPINION... lack thereof. I will support Obama and Biden a bit more enthusiastically because of this choice. I've had enough of Evangelical Christian influence in the Executive Branch, and cannot support any executive with views that go against what I believe.

The way you can tell the Palin selection is a masterstroke for McCain is the hysterical responses of the left wing. From what I've read here, Palin is a drooling troglodyte scarcely capable of tying her own shoes - despite the fact she has obviously been successfully conducting hard nosed energy policy up against those evil oil barons the last couple years. So, what happens when Jabbering Joe Biden comes up against her in the debates and Sarah Baracuda turns out to be a normal person who can speak directly and at least relatively intelligently about the issues? Compared to Smokin' Joes half hour meandering soliloqies, you all have just set yourselves up to look like the biggest bunch of vindictive gasbags imaginable.

You see, the conceit of the left is that they are so much smarter than everyone else, that they should be just given the reins of power by default. I gotta tell you though, that if Obama and Biden and most of the political bureacracy blew away on the wind, most of us in middle America would never notice. Palin lives in the real world, so I'd be careful how low you all lower her expectations. You might find out who the true intellectual midgets are:)

A lot of us Hillary supporters didn’t support Hillary just because she’s a woman. Rather, we respected her dedication to the well-being of average Americans (of all races, not solely African Americans and the poorest of the poor). But we watched the decades-long fighter for civil rights and champion of “the little guy” be chewed up by her own party during a process that made a mockery of democracy - all to reward a guy who’s spent all of three years as a do-nothing legislator. (By the way: I’d love to have a black president - just one who’s qualified for the job. And there are a lot of black leaders in America who’ve proven themselves to be more qualified than Obama.) Palin, on the other hand, has had several years of executive leadership experience - at which she has excelled. (Plus another couple of terms as a city council member). The fact that she was a popular mayor of a small town for two terms shows she understands the issues that affect people's daily lives and effectively works to make their lives better. And she stands up to government corruption! Why isn't Obama being criticized for being a devoted father of small children? And what about Obama’s complete lack of foreign policy experience (besides his recent campaign tour of Europe)? He’s the one running to be the commander in chief! As VP, she’ll have a chance to learn about foreign policy in detail from a leader who’s had a lifetime of experience with foreign policy issues. Oh, and on the abortion issue - it’s offensive to suggest all pro-choice women support that issue over everything else. Most women want respect and equal opportunities - and if more women got it, there would be more women decision-makers government that are pro-choice and pro-life.