Orwellian Republican Voters

I read an interesting article on Alternet today: "'If You Can Run the PTA, You Can Run the Country' -- Republicans Explain Their Support for Palin" This article examined some of the lame and convoluted reasons some voters gave for why they support Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate.

My comment to this article follows below:

Orwellian Republican Voters

I've had conversations with Republican coworkers who have expressed the same sentiments about Palin that this author's article outlines.

Without mentioning how deplorable I find her viewpoints, nor mentioning her family woes, I've attempted to get them to see the point that however "sassy" and engaging they may find this woman, that she's simply unprepared and unqualified to lead this nation should John McCain become incapacitated during his term in office.

They simply brush off the concerns about McCain's health, insisting that 'she's not running for President'. They assert with straight faces that Palin is more qualified to be President than Obama, insisting that her experience, however light it is, as mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska is more relevant to the office of POTUS than Obama's Ivy League education and experience in the Illinois State Senate and United States Senate because it is "executive" experience.

Never mind that he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law school and then taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years. This is compared to Palin who took five years to earn a BS in journalism attending several colleges to do so, then worked only briefly as a sports reporter for an Alaska TV station. None of this is at all relevant to them.

They similarly brush aside Biden's nearly 40 years in the US Senate as also irrelevant because it's not "executive" experience.

They fail to note, naturally, that John McCain's experience also comes from the Senate and are untroubled and unconcerned that McCain chose someone so obviously unqualified when there were more suitable running mates available.

I am appalled at the staggering ignorance of average Palin supporters in my area, who tend to be neo-cons, rather than traditional Republicans. I had thought that no matter how misguided their views might be on the issues, that at least Republican voters would insist on candidates with the requisite education and experience to run for the offices they seek. It seems I was sadly mistaken. It's all about image for them, rather than substance.

Your thoughts?