Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, expressed my thoughts exactly on the Colbert Report (Wednesday, 3 September 2008):
“Sarah Palin has demonstrated that the Republican Party seems to care more about right to life issues and choice issues than it does about the economy or national security.”
THANK YOU!
She is a life-long member of the Republican party who just left her party’s affiliation two weeks ago. She has worked for twenty years in the foreign affairs field and she is best known for her work in Russia and the former Soviet Union.
How many people do you know who wake up and need to decide about getting an abortion or where they can marry their same-sex partner? I truthfully don’t know one person in that situation. But EVERYONE I know wakes up and has to figure out how to put food on their table, gas in their car, and pay for their kids’ doctors appointments.
I am personally pro-life, but I just can’t support the evangelical extreme view that not even in cases of rape, incest or the mother’s health is abortion acceptable. We have much greater issues of concern for the well-being of every member in society TODAY, and it saddens me that this one issue is always seems to overshadow the more pressing issues that face more Americans on a daily basis and which directly affect their quality of life. I have never had an abortion, I would never have one, and I wish that all women who can’t be a mother would carry their babies to term and bless waiting couples through the miracle of adoption. In spite of my personal and religious feelings on the matter, it is not the only or even the most important issue in this year’s election.
At first I was completely perplexed by John McCain’s appointment of Sarah Palin. The reason, however, soon became very clear to me: He needed to energize the Evangelical Right to garner their support in order to win the presidency.
And garner he did. In just about 4 days, they poured $10 million into his campaign.
As such, I’m worried. Obama/Biden are going to have a tough road ahead. There are alot of religious right and Republicans who are falling head over heels for Palin. That said, Obama’s supporters poured $10 million into his campaign in one day, following Palin’s “hockey mom/bulldog” showdown on Wednesday night.
As individuals and Americans I can respect both McCain and Palin; he’s a moderate, decorated war hero, who has shown he does want the best for this country. Who can’t respect that? She’s a tenacious go-getter working mom of a special needs child. Who can’t be a little flustered by her good looks and poise?
That said, I have some serious concerns about having a creationist in our White House. Americans need more moderation, not more extremism.
My father was a faithful Christian/Mormon scientist. His field was the History and Philosophy of Science, and after years of research, he wrote a book detailing his understanding of evolution vs. creationism. Specifically, that Science and Religion are not mutually exclusive. I also do not want someone in the White House who has made comments that insinuate the war in Iraq could be considered a holy war.
I’ve been loving the following commentaries about this whole issue:
Mudflats – a fellow Alaskan perspective
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