John McCain’s choice of Governor Sarah Palin is not the first time folly was attributed to an Alaskan pursuit. Alaska, in our eyes, has always been about folly. Originally purchased from the Russians back in 1867, Alaska was quickly labeled “Seward’s Folly” after the Secretary of State who negotiated the impractical real estate deal. And then, as argued by many, there is the folly of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Alaska and folly seem to go together.What is folly?
fol·ly n
1. thoughtlessness, recklessness, or thoughtless or reckless behavior
2. a thoughtless or reckless act or idea (often used in the plural)
3. eccentric or overelaborate design, for decorative rather than practical purposes
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation.
Accordingly, the McCain narrative seems to enjoy folly. His reckless temperament is perceived by some a plus. His maverick stance, at the same time both loyal and combative, is a critical part of his campaign message. Somehow a Romney pick may have surprised more. It would have been too predictable. It would have contradicted McCain’s folly.
Will voters, however, praise his folly?
the question many are asking is “can we afford to have a VP with Palin’s lackluster credentials a heartbeat away” from the presidency?
Gazing through the following list might help to answer that question. Do you recognize any of them?
Elbridge Gerry, Daniel D. Tompkins, Richard M. Johnson, George M. Dallas, William R. King, Hannibal Hamlin, Schuyler Colfax, Thomas A. Hendricks, Levi P. Morton, Charles W. Fairbanks, Charles G. Dawes, John Nance Garner, Alben W. Barkley.
Of course these are former Vice Presidents of the United States. They help us understand what folly really means. The real folly is that we pay so much attention to the VP picks in the first place. Whether it is Joe Biden or Sarah Palin, do not expect these VP candidates to make much difference now or later.
John McCain’s discovery in Alaska is not the only place we can find folly.
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Breaking news on Monday, Palin confirmed her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Both McCain and Obama found common ground that Bristol Palin's pregnancy should be "off-limits."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/rnc/1138831,CST-NWS-react01web.article
Do you agree? Is Palin's daughter and her pregnacy relevant to the campaign?
2 comments:
Concerning Palin's daughter, I do think children should be off limits in campaigns. They spend a lot of time with their parents, but the parents influence the kids more than the other way around. And some say that "if she can't control her own daughter, how can she control a country" but that's not a fair comparsion because to be successful like that, a parent has to give up time with their children and some of their influence. Some of our parents have to do the same with work
I think that Palin can be McCain's folly and advantage. She can be a folly because (going with the 3rd definition you gave) she does not have a lot of experience in Washington DC, though she does have experience as a mayor and governor. I think that McCain picked her for the independent votes and Hillary supporters, but I do not think he will get as many votes as he hopes for. I think that the Republicans also picked her because it would even the score with Obama, and African American versus a Women. People who vote against Obama can be considered racist and those who vote against Palin are sexist. This can be both an advantage, some votes, and a folly, because we can see that she is unexperienced and this is the first time she is on the national stage.
Now, about Palin's daughter. I believe that family in general should not affect the campaign and who people vote for. You are electing Palin into office, not her daughter or husband. They have no effect over the outcome of legislations and cannot change the principles of the country, so they should not matter in the presidential campaign.
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