Finally! A Woman I Can Vote For!

I've been getting requests from all over the country to write a blog about my viewpoint on Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska and John McCain's running mate for the Presidential election in November. Most people had never heard of her, but fortunately, I have.

When Congress, once again, refused to allow drilling in ANWR, Sarah Palin was on the news indicating she was going to slap the federal government with a law suit over the matter. Oh yeah, I was on her side immediately. I liked her right away.

Still, I don't know a tremendous amount about her yet, but here is what I do know:

The Anchorage Daily News: "Palin, 44, has been the Joan of Arc of Alaska politics, charging into battle against long odds on such big local issues as oil taxes and construction of a natural gas pipeline only to see her opposition crumble." (Tom Kizzia, "Gov. Sarah Palin: A Biography," Anchorage Daily News, 8/29/08)

The Boston Herald: "Governor Palin Is "A Maverick Governor." "Palin, 44, a maverick governor and a staunch, anti-abortion, pro-gun rights conservative, is a political outsider who has five children and a working-class background." (Jessica Fargen, "Sarah Palin: Mom, Hunter, Maverick," Boston Herald, 8/30/08)

The Washington Post: Governor Palin "Rose To The Statehouse By Challenging The Corruption That Has Become Endemic In Alaska, Even If It Meant Taking On The Republican Establishment There." "Palin, a 44-year-old mother of five who hunts caribou and was once a beauty queen, rose to the statehouse by challenging the corruption that has become endemic in Alaska, even if it meant taking on the Republican establishment there, including the former governor and the state's congressional delegation." (Amy Goldstein and Michael D. Shear, "A Tenacious Reformer's Swift Rise," The Washington Post, 8/30/08)

Bill Kristol of FOXNEWS: "'She Has Been Governor Of The State While Obama Has Been Pretty Much An Absentee Senator Running For Senate.' Obama has no experience, obviously. He was a state Senator. Sarah Palin has much more executive experience. She has been governor of the state while Obama has been pretty much an absentee senator running for Senate." (FOX News' "Special Report," 8/29/08)

The Associated Press: Governor Palin Is "An Independent Figure." "In turning to her, McCain picked an independent figure in his own mold, one who has taken on Alaska's powerful oil industry and, at age 44, is three years younger than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and a generation younger than McCain, 72." (Steve Quinn And Calvin Woodward, "McCain's Veep Choice Is Historic And Hardly Known," The Associated Press, 8/29/08)

So, that's what the big boys have been saying about her. Here's what I know:

1. She used to play basketball and had the nickname of the Barracuda. This was given to her because of her "take-no-prisoners" style of play.
2. She was a beauty queen.
3. She was a sports reporter.
4. She is a wife and mother.
5. She is the Republican Governor of Alaska.
6. She is a staunch, pro-life Conservative and has backed that up with personal decisions.
7. She is pro-2nd Amendment.
   
8. She is conservative in every issue I have checked her out on.
9. She's a hands-on Commander-in-Chief of the Alaskan National Guard, visiting her troops in the Middle East.
   

She is the mother of a five-month old little boy who has Down Syndrome. Many women have opted for abortions in situations like this, but not Sarah Palin. She had her baby, knowing the challenges ahead. She backed up her beliefs with her personal choices.

Today, she and her husband, Todd, released the following:

"ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, Sarah and Todd Palin issued the following statement regarding today's Reuters story:

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi's privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates."

Again, many would have encouraged their young daughters to abort their child, certainly Barack Obama would have, but not Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd. They backed their child's decision and support her in every way they can.

McCain said of her:

"She's got the right judgment. She doesn't think, like Senator Obama does, that Iran is a minor irritant. She knows that the surge worked and succeeded and she supported that. Senator Obama still, still to this day, refuses to acknowledge that the surge has succeeded. She's been commander-in-chief of the Alaska Guard that has served back and back. In fact, as you know, she's got a son who's getting ready to go. But she's had the judgment on these issues that Senator Obama, he's had all the wrong judgments. Governor Palin understands these issues, and she understands the challenges that we face, so she's had 12 years of elected office experience, including travelling to Kuwait, including being involved in these issues, and look, I'm so proud that she has displayed the kind of judgment and she has the experience and judgment as an executive. She's run a huge economy up there in the state of Alaska. Twenty percent of our energy comes from the state of Alaska, and energy is obviously one of the key issues for our nation's security."

-- and --

"But the point is, she's been to Kuwait. She's been over there. She's been with her troops. The National Guard that she commands, who have been over there and had the experience, I'm proud of her knowledge of these challenges and issues. And of course as governor, she has had enormous responsibilities, none of which Senator Obama had. When she was in government, he was a community organizer. When she was taking tough positions against her own party, Senator Obama was voting present 130 times in the state legislature. On every tough issue, whatever it was, she was taking them on. That's the kind of judgment that I'm confident that we need in Washington."

So yes, I support Sarah Palin completely. Everyone knows Mitt Romney was, and always will be, my first choice. But I am ecstatic with the choice of Sarah Palin and can support her completely. John McCain has done one of only two things that would keep me from taking a barf bag with me to the voting booth, chosen a running mate I can get behind 100% was one of them.

Now all McCain has to do is appoint Mitt Romney to his cabinet, put him in charge of the economy and we just may survive this.

Finally, a woman I can vote for, Sarah Palin.

Sarah's acceptance speech.