by Sam Hernandez

Created on: November 02, 2008

The nomination of Governor Sarah Palin confirmed, to me, that Senator McCain does not have the judgment to hold the most powerful position in the world. On its face, selecting a woman was a "maverick" type choice. However upon closer scrutiny this nomination highlights why Senator McCain is not the best choice for President. It was the nomination of Governor Palin that secured my wholehearted vote for Senator Obama.

Why did the selection of Governor Palin cement my vote for Senator Obama?

1. These are serious times and our nation deserves a serious President. Senator McCain had several months, while Senators Obama and Clinton battled it out to secure the Democratic nomination, to work on finding a suitable Vice Presidential running mate. The seriousness of this candidate selection always is monumental because it demonstrates to the country a candidate's judgment and gives insight on how the Presidential candidate works through his selection process. We've had eight long years of a President who placed under qualified people in positions with disastrous consequences. One of the most obvious examples of that was with the selection of the head of FEMA, Michael Brown. While I'm sure his background in horses is commendable we all saw how putting a woefully under-qualified person in charge of our emergency relief agency worked out during the Katrina disaster. While this nomination may have worked in further cementing the base of the Republican party let's face it those were votes Senator McCain was already going to receive. How serious was Senator McCain in reaching across party lines with this nomination? Not serious at all. The Senator met the Governor twice before offering her a position and in total spent less than three hours with her prior to offering her the position. I've had job interviews where I've been interrogated longer than that!

2. Hint: Insulting women is not the way to win the Presidency. The Senator's choice in nominating an everyday-Jane candidate is an insult to women. If he was going to nominate a women we deserved a serious candidate who can stand on her own. A reflection of the empowered American woman; smart, politically savvy, intellectually curious, opinionated with a strong sense of history, able to fend for herself without needing protection, someone with the ability to communicate her vision for America. We deserved a candidate who can contribute something of value to our nation - expertise or experience or a unique skill. We deserved a

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