Gov. Palin and the Alaska Independence Party

Well.

Sen. McCain has named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his Vice Presidential nominee, and immediately showed just how carelessly he vetted his running mate. The news that has come out over the weekend has made it clear that his staffers were less than thorough in checking out potential problems in Gov. Palin's candidacy*. Otherwise, the McCain campaign would have been much better prepared to react (or even better, be proactive) to what we now find to be news. Quite aside from her daughter's pregnancy (which I agree is nobody's business), we now have a flap over her remarks to the 2008 convention of the Alaskan Independence Party.



Careful listening tells me that she did not really show strong agreement with the AIP -- instead, she stressed the value of party competition and agreement with their Constitutional values. Her position therefore is not peculiar to the Alaskan Independence Party, but is shared by all who value the Constitution and the freedom it protects.

However, it leaves me scratching my head. If Gov. Palin is sympathetic to the Alaskan Independence Party's platform, why is she running for Vice President of the United States? Shouldn't she be using the bully pulpit to rally Alaskans to a defense of their own interests, and representing those interests outside Alaska? Or is she just one more opportunist on the national political stage?

If she proves to be nothing but an opportunist, she will embarrass both Sen. McCain and the Alaskan Independence Party.

Gov. Palin has some explaining to do.

* Despite claims to the contrary.

Virtual buckeyes to Plunderbund and Rebellion.