Why Palin?

The following is not necessarily representative of ALL of Critter News. Just me.

Why has John McCain chosen Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as a running mate? This may not seem like an animal issue, but it is. For me, I've been deluged for months by Defenders of Wildlife material about Alaska's heartless treatment of wolves. Treatment headed by this woman's administration.

Now, she's a Vice-Presidential candidate. Yikes! If McCain gets elected, then I can see the future of the Endangered Species Act, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Agriculture, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, etc. A big F-U to animals.... worthy of George W. Bush himself.

But why Palin? She is the former mayor of a town with about 7,000 people (I grew up in a town of about 3,300 people. It's ballooned to 5,000 now. There's not much difference between that and 7,000. In other words, there ain't too much happening in a town of that size! I know!) She's been governor of Alaska for about two years, a world of its own with about half a million people, half of which may be subsistence hunters for all I know. Again, a woman who has been not been challenged with issues surrounding the lower 48 states. A small-town mayor running a small-town state.

She is so not qualified. So, why Palin?

She's a woman and she comes from oil. Her husband is in the oil business and she can advocate the gutting of ANWR.

Oh, and she's a cute woman and she'll appeal to the Hillary voters.

I didn't vote for Hillary, but I'm a feminist. Generally, feminists don't lean towards cute ex-beauty queens. They like Janet Reno and Madeline Albright types. Not much to look at, but a hell of a brain.

I hope that the scrutiny of Palin will do something about Alaska's unfair and cruel treatment of wolves. A couple of urban colleagues had this honest reaction when I filled them in. "Man, that's COLD!"

It is cold. And brutal. And unnecessary.

Let's hope Sarah doesn't make it to the White House. Let's hope McCain is just crazy...and not crazy like a fox.