Kim Williams
Commentary Editor
Sarah Palin’s selection as John McCain’s vice presidential candidate is a wild card that not only will play an influential role in the upcoming election, but has everybody talking. According to her biography on the state of Alaska website, she became governor of the state on December 4, 2006. Palin has recently received nationwide attention after being chosen by McCain.
Palin may be just what McCain needs to land conservative voters. A number of news sources such as Time magazine describe her as being anti-abortion and having strong religious beliefs, especially regarding homosexuality.
Sophomore Josh Poland says, “I think she adds a lot of really conservative values to a campaign that had conservative voters worried about what it would deliver. Palin is strongly pro-life [and] her support of her son’s deployment in the Army signifies a strong love for country, especially considering her very strong family values.
Not all McDaniel students agree that her conservative nature is a good thing. Sophomore Sunita Pathik says concerning Palin’s speech September 3rd that she is “Using fear tactics” and continues that “It’s frightening that she’s so well-spoken because I am so against drilling and many of the other issues she is very much an advocate for.” Junior John Sullivan remarks that McCain choosing Palin is “a ploy to get the women’s vote” and agrees with Pathik that her desire to drill is a “terrible way to go about the oil issue and environmental issues.”
Beyond her beliefs, several topics have sparked debate amongst voters which may cause trouble for McCain’s campaign. For instance, the LA Times and many other news sources have reported that Palin’s unmarried, 17 year old daughter is pregnant. The headlines also question her ability to hold office while simultaneously being the mother of five children. Regarding this issue, Sophomore Kim Moran says, “I disagree with the view that because she has five kids she won’t be able to do the job. It is such a double standard.”
With so many strong opinions out there and a hopefully large turnout at the polls, this election is going to be very interesting indeed. While at one time I considered McCain’s campaign as good as over, Palin may just be the spark that will revive it. Poland agrees, saying, “I thought Obama had this election by a small margin, but now it’s anyone’s game.”