A recent letter to a local paper noted, quite correctly, that Sarah Palin has "taken this country by storm" partly because of "her strong opposition to abortion." (Thankfully, though, as a wise analyst noted some 400 years ago, "sudden storms are short,” and Hurricane Sarah does indeed seem to be fizzling into a swirl of hot air.) And that’s what makes McCain’s choice so shameful. Clearly, he looked in the mirror, realized that with his loyalty to Bush, his appalling ignorance of both domestic and foreign affairs, his zigzagging values, and his muddled speeches, he didn’t stand a chance. So he made a desperate, cynical gamble of pandering to the narrow biases of the Christian right – and making the absurd assumption that Hillary voters would back any woman – and picking a comically unqualified running mate.
Abortion – it’s a difficult, painful issue. Absolutely no one is "pro-abortion." It’s always a wrenching choice. If some, because of their religious beliefs, do not consider abortion an option, fine. But what colossal arrogance to try to inflict their beliefs on the rest of us! That letter concludes its “argument” by saying, "May God bless America," as if that trumps further discussion, but whose God, exactly, are they talking about? If you want to “reclaim” the Constitution, let’s talk about religious tolerance, a bedrock of our country.
But here’s the thing about these shortsighted one-issue voters — they are so blinded by abortion that they can’t see any other issue. The corporate stooges who guide the Republican Party have gleefully tapped into this, throwing up a "pro-life" smokescreen so voters won’t notice the gross incompetence of, say, the corrupt little frat boy whose reign has proved so calamitous. So I ask these voters: will banning abortion get us out of Iraq, solve health care, reduce the obscene income disparity that’s poisoning our nation, reduce poverty, shore up Social Security, help the environment, stave off financial meltdown? Of course not, but they don’t seem to care. They take one look at cute, snappy Sarah Palin and say, Yippee! She’s anti-abortion! We love her!
But do not despair, all you thinking people out there. I am fully confident that this tale will have a happy ending, because each day we get a clearer picture of just how ethically challenged, narrow-minded and unprepared Palin is, and all but the blindered religious conservatives are, thank all the gods, taking notice. May wisdom and tolerance bless America.