John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate because he believed she would bring strength to the ticket. McCain's running mate, unlike his wife, is firmly anti-abortion. She has executive experience as Mayor of Wasilla and Governor of Alaska. Limited executive experience, undoubtedly, but, as the Republicans point out, more than Joe Biden. She is portrayed as an advocate of low taxes and small government. But in a state with a small population and so much income as a result of its oil that it sends checks to its residents rather than taxing them that is pretty easy. And as Mayor she hired a lobbying firm to bring federal earmarks to Wasilla([link edited for length] ). As long as you can stick the federal taxpayers with the bills, you don't need to raise taxes. And as a woman she brings novelty to the Republican ticket, which is more significant since the Democrats rejected the candidacy of Senator Hillary Clinton.
And she brings strength to the ticket through a little advertised contact which even Senator McCain may have been unaware of. She has a direct pipeline to God. He advises her on matters of war and peace and economic develop and she passes the word on not only to public officials but to ministers([link edited for length])
The Governor has said that the war in Iraq is the will of God. God also, apparently, told the Governor that he wants a natural gas pipeline across Alaska. No God that I am aware of said either of those things, although some Christians might argue that he allowed the war to happen. With regard to the pipeline, I think that God is on the side of the polar bears and the natural environment. After all, He created them. On the other hand there is no evidence of God's hand in the Iraq war. That unnecessary war was the will of the President and the congress of the United States, led by George W. Bush. Unless George Bush has been promoted from "The Decider" to the Creator, it is not the will of God. It is a willful act by men and women.
Governor Palin made her remarks about God's will in an address to condidates for the ministry in the Assemblies of God. One story referred to the talk as being delivered in her "former" church, but whether she has left the denomination or it was simply referring to her local Assembly in Wasilla I do not know. In any case she is a pentacostal.
I am not advocating here a religious test for candidates for President or Vice President or any other position in the federal, state, or local governments. I do object to the Governor a state lecturing ministers on the will of God.
In the office of Vice President, and possibly advisor to the President, Governor Palin's theology is pretty much irrelevant. The public might get worked up about the spelling skills of a vice president, but not his or her religious beliefs. The bellicose and arrogant Senator McCain doesn't need permission from God to wage war.
But the importance of the vice presidency does not lie in the office itself but in the potential that the holder of the office may assume the duties of the President. Governor Palin's message from God about the Iraq war is not significantly different from President Bush's discovery that it was his destiny to wage that war.
After eight years of the Bush administration, we do not need another agent of God or Fate in the White House.
©2008 rtbohan, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Thursday, September 4, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, September 4, 2008
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