The choice for President will eventually be made based on the man at the top of the ticket, not his choice for VP. Having said that, the choice for the second highest office in the U.S. reflects on the judgement of the person at the top of the ticket. Constitutionally, as has been said many times, the VP is only a heartbeat away from becoming President.

In this case, John McCain either selected or approved the selection by the Republican National Committee of a person with no serious qualifications to be the President of the U.S. He did so having met the woman only once before today and knowing that he has had four bouts with cancer and would be the oldest President ever elected if he is successful.

This choice reflects badly on McCain, a man I respect highly. It appears that he is pandering the social and religious conservatives that form the base of the Republican party. We know that Sara Palin is staunchly pro-life, would vote against any form of gun control, is against the teaching of anything but Biblical-based science in schools, and so forth. But are these the most important qualifications for one who could become the leader of the strongest country in the free world? I think not.

The choice reflects badly on either the judgement of John McCain or his willingness to make a sound decision, even if it is one not favored by a faction that has and has had very narrow litmus tests for those they find acceptable as their political leaders. While I might not have voted for John McCain I am truly saddened by this choice and the lack of judgement it implies.

The comparisons of qualifications between Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are inevitable. But there is a huge difference. Obama won the nomination in a sometimes brutal, highly competitive, long campaign that began with almost a dozen candidates. Millions and millions of Americans evaluated their choices and elected him as the candidate they believed most qualified and who stood for the principles they felt important. Sarah Palin was appointed to her position, either by a man who thought she might enhance his campaign for the presidency, or by an influential group of political supporters who may have traded their support for a VP based on a narrow set of litmus tests. Yet given the age and medical history of the person she might serve as President, she could easily accede to the position, regardless of her qualifications and preparedness.

I have said before that I would be satisfied by the leadership of either of our candidates for President if they were elected. After this decision on a VP, that is a statement I will no longer make.