McCain’s “Drive By” Vice President

Ken Kerr Bio

It is Sunday morning, the day that my wife and dog sleep in and I have some alone time to read the paper and plan my favorite Sunday activity: watching the Sunday politics shows. Coffee in one hand the, newspaper in the other, I look to see who is going to be on which program. Let’s see . . . Barack Obama is on This Week at 10:00. John McCain is on Face the Nation at 10:30. Joe Biden in on Meet the Press at 10:30, and Sarah Palin is on . . . nothing.

It has been 10 days since Sarah Palin was tapped to be McCain’s Vice Presidential nominee, and she has not answered one reporter’s question. Not one.

She has given nearly a dozen speeches where she attacks Obama, belittles liberals, and charms the crowd. And then she is off like a gangbanger in a drive-by shooting. The McCain campaign strategy as far as Palin is concerned seems to be, “Get out while the getting is good.”

The best strategy for McCain is to keep her hidden, never let her speak without a script, don’t give anyone the opportunity to ask her a question until the debate, and then hope that her poor performance is overshadowed by calling Biden a bully.

Here are some questions that desperately need asking.

“Are you now, or have you ever been a member of a separatist movement?” This seems a fair question given McCain’s “Nation First” theme at his convention.

“If we were to being offshore drilling today, what is the soonest we could begin to use this source of oil and what effect would it have on gasoline and heating fuel prices?” After the chants of “Drill Baby Drill” I think a good second verse is “When Baby When?”

“You were initially in favor of the Bridge to Nowhere and then said, “Thanks but no thanks.” Yet you accepted the money and used it for other projects. Given your opposition to earmarks, how can you explain this inconsistency?” This seems like something a reformer would want to clear up.

“While mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, you hired a lobbyist who procured $27 million in federal earmarks for your town. As a candidate for vice president, you pledge to end this type of practice. What changed your mind?”

“In 1996, you fired the police chief and library director of Wasilla for "not fully supporting her efforts to govern." The assumption of your constituents at that time was that you retaliated for their not supporting you in your election. This seems quite similar to the undergoing investigation into your firing your public safety commissioner for allegedly not carrying out your wishes that he fire your former brother-in-law. As a self-professed reformer, how can you claim to root out corruption given these past actions of your own?” Since administration is under continued scrutiny for its firing of federal prosecutors who were politically disloyal, it seems that McCain/Pail is indeed a third Bush term.

“You praised your 17 year-old daughter for making the right choice to bring her pregnancy to full term and marry the future father. Yet you seek to deny that same choice to others in your daughter’s situation. Shouldn’t everyone be given the same opportunity as your daughter?” This is a fair question given that she has built a political career by taking an extreme stance on reproductive rights.

This is a good start. We could go on and on: global climate change, endangered species, creationism...

I think we have enough here to fill the 30 minute interview. That interview is yet to be scheduled. According to reports, Palin is sequestered with tutors and unlikely to face any reporters before her Thursday, October 2nd debate with Joe Biden. Let’s call that the final exam.

Drive-by attacks are as despicable in politics as they are in street gangs. It is an act of cowardice. It is sneaky, It is dishonorable. In the meantime, it is helpful to recall American boxer Joe Louis (1914-81), who, on the eve of his fight with the light heavyweight champion Billy Conn, said, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”