Photo courtesy of US Weekly Magazine

Article by Karyn Allen

Sarah Palin has been chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. She is the first female to be chosen for this position in this party’s history. Which leads me to this question…Is this choice strictly about strategy? Did the Republican Party choose Sarah Palin as the running mate to Senator John S. McCain, because Barack Obama did not choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate? As a former supporter of Hillary Clinton and now an avid supporter of Barack Obama, I would say, “YES!” I think that the Republican Party wanted to capture the votes of those undecided on whom to vote for as the next President of the United States of America. They assumed that women like me, who were “Hillary” supporters in the Primaries, would flock to Sarah Palin because she is a woman. WRONG!!! I am intelligent enough to sort through the political jargon, and focus on the REAL issues that we face as Americans.

I am a licensed real estate agent; for me and others related to my field, the housing market and economy are huge issues. Sarah Palin did not convince me that she had a plan to help promote a thriving economy. She did not explain how she would bring jobs back to the American people. Governor Palin seemed to want to convey how tough she is comparing herself to a “pitbull”, just with “lipstick”. I’m not a “hockey mom” and cannot understand how that qualifies her to be our next Vice President. I believe that each of us has pit bull tendencies if we feel threatened. That doesn’t make her tough, it makes her human.

According to www.Ask.com, the population of the state of Alaska (which is the state that she has been the Governor of since 2006) is 655, 435. She criticized Barack Obama for being a “community activist”, but it seems like her entire state isn’t as large as the community that he served on the south side of Chicago. Being President of the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and being the Vice President of the country are definitely not parallel paths. I was on the Steward Board at my church, but that in no way qualifies me to run for the Senate or the House. I encourage each of us as American citizens to look at the facts. This is our future that hangs in the balance. We deserve to live in a progressive country and not one that only offers that opportunity to those in higher social and economic classes.