Sarah Palin’s Great Speech… And Why It Reaffirms Even More Why I’m Voting For Obama

Sarah Palin gave a great political speech last night. In it, she was feisty, charming, funny, open, and confident. As a convention speech, where the murmur behind the scenes was about whether she was ready for the national spotlight, I think she proved that she can more than hold her own. As a political speech, in execution, it was a home run. The problem I have is that I also found her speech to be smug, condescending, and containing what I’ve now learned is referred to as “intellectual dishonesty”, basically making something you say you’d support in one breath, sound like something you don’t in the other. (To read more about that idea, see Tom Hall’s IndieWire post - I do agree with the points he makes, but like many bloggers, he lets his anger veer him towards making statements that I don’t think are wholly fair. His points about the absurdity of calling Obama an elitist, however, are dead on!)

I understand Palin’s wanting to respond to critics about her experience – and whether it actually pales in comparison to Obama’s or not. As soon as she was picked to be McCain’s running mate, that was the first thing I thought – well, there goes their argument about the importance of experience. Because despite her level or know-how (and she does have some), it’s a dicey argument at the very least to debate whether it’s bigger and better than Barack’s. I figured the comparison was probably not a smart idea – at minimum, (and I’ll play devil’s advocate and take her side in this) they’re basically even. But to strongly argue as if hers if far superior – that would be foolish. Or so I thought. Stupid me – I forgot about how politics work today. They (politicians) can just state something as factual – that is only a partial truth – and make it seem like it’s the whole truth. I’m sorry – but when did it become a bad thing to get YOUR START as a community organizer? Something that was worthy of being mocked?!? It’s not like it’s his only experience – I mean, Obama does have other accomplishments beyond beginning his career on the south side of Chicago 20 years ago. And I like that about him. I like that he started that way – that his first connection was with the people around him, and trying to help them. I find it personally insulting that this could be held up as something for ridicule. And I don’t REALLY believe that Sarah Palin feels that way either – but I think she knew it’d make a great soundbite – and so, who cares how true it really is. So, congratulations, Republican Party – once again, you’ve managed to insult a part of who I am and what I believe in (2004 all over again?) – all in an effort to win an election. But I guess you knew you weren’t going to get my vote anyway, so who cares, right? I think a lot of Americans do, if they think about it. That community organizer – the guy that cares and works hard for his neighbors first – that’s who I want to be. That’s who, on good days, I hope I am. And I don’t think it’s foolish, or something that I should not be proud of, nor something that I would not tout as experience in my managerial and organizational skills. Anyone who’s ever worked on anything like that will agree. These are the people I know. They’re the ones who coach soccer teams, and work for the parish’s outreach program, and donate their time reading to kids. Those are the people I want to look up to. And maybe those are the people we should elect into higher offices, because they have their priorities straight.

Now, yes – both sides are guilty at many times of using this intellectual dishonesty to support their causes. I am not naive to that fact. Often, it’s not directly the candidates – but the people who speak for them. Thank God, that’s why we’re not electing those people, but their candidates. And after last night’s speech, the Democrats could’ve just piled right on – using the same tactics in reverse. I mean, isn’t that partly what Sarah Palin thought she was responding to in the first place. That’s why I was so pleased to see this response from Joe Biden on the Today Show this morning. He didn’t hit her right back on the same issues (experience) – he stopped it cold – he actually said she will be a very “formidable” opponent. I found it to be gracious and honest. She did give a good speech, and he doesn’t pretend to deny it. He just thinks we need to be talking more about the issues, instead of everyone’s personal business. (Hmm, isn’t that exactly what the delegates have been saying for days at the RNC?)

I can hear the cynics now – bringing up all of the reasons and fears about Obama’s motives and whether he really can lead this change movement, based off of his limited (in comparison to McCain’s) years of public service (let’s face it, McCain is significantly older and therefore, he’s had more time). So, call me Pollyanna. I don’t care. But I believe we’re facing one of the most crucial elections and a critical moment in our nation’s history. And do we really want more of the same old political games to be played? I just don’t believe that the American public as a whole is that unconscious to not see through it. And if the grassroots efforts in this year’s elections are any indication, there are an awful lot of people who are willing to step up and say, “Enough”. Mock it all you want. But in the end, I know that it doesn’t make it true. I just hope enough voters see through it as well, come November.