A Spin on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: You decide
October 11, 2008 by amanda
Filed under Editorials, Featured
By Kim Ngai, News Editor
On August 29, 2008, most of America received Sarah Palin with open arms as she was announced as McCain\’s running mate. Most.
On September 5, the day following the GOP convention, the Gallup poll recorded McCain\’s numbers surging 11 points, which left Obama trailing by four.
Although the numbers started to even off last week, it has only been with the announcement of a bailout plan from Washington and a sense of economic failure reverberating around America that Obama moved back in the lead by 4% (Source: ABC News/Washington Post) as of September 29.
McCain said picking Governor Palin was a “stroke of genius.” And it was! His numbers shot up ridiculously. Why in the world would he be trailing Obama (again)?
Is it because America realized McCain has no economic experience? Is it because America realized Palin has no economic experience? Hm?
I know what you\’re going to say. “But Kim, Obama has no economic experience either.”
Well, look at the polls—he must have something McCain doesn\’t have. America has reacted wonderfully to recent political events. A sensational, pretty woman is chosen to run with John McCain, and he starts to lead in polls. Palin speaks at the GOP convention, and numbers rise a little more. The economy starts to falter, Congress can\’t get its act together—and McCain is back where he should be, which is behind Obama.
This is a very, very scary pattern. Because it seems as though voters go for the candidate who is be able to lead us through the crisis at the moment- it doesn\’t exactly matter who\’s leading in the polls right now. The next president of the United States will be determined by the national and international events the week of the election. We get a terrorist attack that week and we get President McCain. We get a stock market crash, and here comes President Obama to fix everything up. Sí se puede.
But Biden is the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. That\’s more experience in foreign policy than what Palin has, and Obama is trusted with our economic polices/crisis. What more could you ask for?
Unless, of course, you would like a vice president who describes herself as a “pit bull with lipstick” who lives next to Russia.
