I have decided to continue blogging throughout the entire campaign. As a result, I may get a bit more partisan. To kick off the home stretch of the campaign, we should first cover the debate. I had the great opportunity to discuss my views on the debate and the recent bailout proposal on Bruce Dumont’s nationally syndicated political radio program Beyond the Beltway. Bruce’s show is probably the most civilized, balanced format you’ll find on TV or Radio. His guests each week consist of one clearly partisan guest from each party and two more moderate guests, each with his or her own leanings, one to the left and one to the right. Bruce has an incredible way of parsing through the issues and positing clear and thought provoking questions. To hear my participation and of course a definitve debate on the First Debate go to www.beyondthebeltway.com to hear last night’s show.
After any appearance in the media, or even when we debate our friends and families at the dinner table, we always think about what we said, what we didn’t say, what we could have said better or “Aha, that is the zinger I should have said!”. Having had a couple of these thoughts myself, I thought I would comment on a few:
One point we discussed in detail was something made apparent by the debate, which was that the War on Terror and our foreign policy is multifacted, and dealt with on many different fronts. Each front requires its own nuances and strategy. We have two very different types of leaders emerging, one who prefers diplomacy and a consult first response and one who wants to govern from resolve and strength. Although these styles are not mutually exclusive, it is clear that one is more willing to act with strength, is less dependent on advisors for his information and is less deferential to international concensus than the other. In this dangerous world, who has the knowledge, expertise, judgement and frankly, agility to manage these multiple demands? I think on Friday night, it was clear only John McCain has all of that and we know this for sure because we know him and how he thinks. Although I had the opportunity to say this, I feel it needs repeating.
We also had the opportunity to discuss Sarah Palin. Our debate was cut short due to time so that we never got a good one going. I have a feeling we could easily fill two hours discussing her. One thing I want to say is that although she may not have the foreign policy experience or philosophy that McCain has, or even Joe Biden, she has clearly demonstrated the skill set and judgement required to participate in foreign affairs. As a governor, and this could be said about any good effective governor, they have to negotiate daily with partisan legislators, special interests, big businesses, other politicians (and the media!) on a daily basis. You either have the skills and judgment to do this or not. Because she has demonstrated she is more than adept at this, I see no reason she cannot apply her savior faire to the international arena. Being a good Vice President does not mean having negotiated or met with foreign leaders although we might ask this of the men running for the top of the ticket. She has demonstrated measurable results and when choosing the leaders of this country, results count. I also have no doubt that she has the personal skills, and charm!, to diffuse any offenses she might face. The art of negotiating requires the art of diplomacy and Sarah Palin has demonstrated, if nothing else, that she can convince and inspire those around her. As a final note, I find it unbeleivable that someone could think she threatens working women everywhere. She is the perfect example of a working mother who works and succeeds in her paying job and still managed to be pro-family. She is a pro-family working mother and has embraced a culture of life, demonstrating that you can work and have a family, that one does not exclude the other. What feminists are talking about when they say Palin threatens this is (and I hesitated to call this out last night) is that she is pro-life, antiabortion and that somehow threatens the rights of women generally. Actually this is patently untrue. Her choices and pro-life values threaten the very concept of choice that feminists have been screaming about for decades. Shouldn’t we be celebrating the choices that the Palins, as a family have made?
Finally, on a more negative note, there was one thing that troubled me in the debate. At one point, Barack Obama claimed that his left wing voting record was not liberalism “but me opposing George Bush.” This spoke volumes to me. First, it showed a patent disrespect for the not just the office of President, but the man who serves in it. It also showed an incredible lack of principle. I would like to think his voting record represents how he feels about something and what he substantively believes in not an opportunity to be a petulant contrarian. And finally, it shows that he really doesn’t care about being bi-partisan or seeking to make change constructively. We should be very concerned by this since this is a man who, if elected, will have strong majorities in both the House and Senate. his willingness to listen to all sides will be reduced and unchallenged and he will not have the checks and balances that a strong democratic government requires.
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