Colin Powell for President... Sarah Palin for most undeserving woman in the world

Too bad he's too smart to ever run. I say smart because I think he's aware of how dirty he'd need to get to be a true politician. And Powell's a classy guy, one that knows his limitations. I think the country would be a much better place if he led it... but that's never going to happen. Sigh.

That being said, I have grown weary these past few months, as I have really sought to study out the presidential candidates' viewpoints and stances.

I'm really tired of politicians in general. Which is probably why I like Powell so much. He's not a politician. He's a military man, and I respect him for that. He's one of those who had the guts to go fight for his country, a rarity in our current world. (Which is not saying nor implying that I agree with the war in Iraq, merely that I respect his willingness to serve his country in spite of opposition and think that it's really easy for people to protest something from the comfort and ease that people like Powell have sought to protect and provide.)

I'm not going to completely vilify Bush either. I recently have viewed the amazingly constructed Frontline special called Bush's War (which EVERYONE should see), and after seeing that am more inclined to abhor Cheney and Rumsfeld (who I think should be dumped and left in Iraq or maybe right on Osama's front door step) and to pity Bush for allowing himself to be thoroughly duped and his position taken advantage of. It would've been lovely if you could have had some backbone, George. It would've been great if you would have had one original thought or idea.

It seems that all of the drama that has happened in the country the last eight years has left the majority of Americans with a bitter taste in their mouths. They want a change, a beacon of hope, SOMETHING to lift us up from so many moments that have not been our finest.

Which is why John McCain befuddles me.

I don't think McCain's a bad guy. As mentioned above, I really respect the whole military background, the whole POW struggle (though I am so tired of hearing about it I could scream) and the fact that he's really wanted this for a long time. But I have always wanted to be a ballerina, and that's just a little unrealistic at this point. (Oh yeah, and the "whole let's dump my wife for a cuter, younger wife" is not my favorite thing eith.)

The nail in his coffin was choosing Sarah Palin as a running mate. As a woman, I think it's insulting. It's the whole prosaic "token woman" idea and I loathe it. Every article I have read, every speech I have heard, every interview I have listened to, my dislike for her deepens. I dislike her as much as I dislike Billary. And that's saying something. Below is a list of articles (all from credible and pretty balanced sources) that illustrate my point:

Talking of the possibility of war with Russia

Backing, then not backing the bridge to nowhere

Pork barrel spending and earmarks

A strong proponent of abstinence only education in spite of teenage daughter's pregnancy

Palin's staff won't comply with subpoenas investigating the firing of Alaska's former public safety commissioner

Floundering over the Bush Doctrine (video)

I could go on for awhile, but you get the idea.

McCain had the chance to really make a statement with his choice of a VP candidate, and he made the wrong one. He picked someone who is not only under-qualified but thoroughly uninformed. Has the Bush administration taught us nothing? The person who is chosen as Vice President of the Unites States is one step away from the Presidency itself. Is Palin qualified to run the country. HELL no. Do I want her anywhere near the White House? Same answer as before. And I have difficulty seeing how anyone in their good conscience would sign off on such a political novice. (In my opinion, he should have thrown caution to the wind and chosen Lieberman. Talk about mixing it up and truly seeking to unify the parties... now that would've been interesting.) She hasn't earned it and certainly is not entitled to the Vice Presidency because she's a woman. Like I said, it's insulting.

Many argue that her political experience is comparable to Barrack's. It's not, so don't be stupid. The Senate in Washington is quite different from being the governor in a state that has less people than Manhattan. And though Barrack is not as experienced as I would like him to be, Biden is. And though I don't agree with all of Obama's ideas and policies, I cannot and will not vote for McCain. I shudder to think what would happen if Palin became President.

So thanks John McCain, for making my decision an easy one. Obama '08.