2008 Woodie Awards
Palin announced as McCain's VP choice
Mixed reaction from UMass students
Alyssa Creamer
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: News
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain announced Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 29 in Dayton, Ohio amidst much controversy and skepticism.
Many University of Massachusetts students expressed bewilderment at Palin's selection, stating that they feel she lacks experience. She has fewer than two years in office as the 11th female governor and the first of Alaska. Palin's political career also includes a two-term service on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as mayor/manager of Wasilla, an Alaskan town with an estimated population of 8,471 according to the U.S. Census Bureau as of 2005.
"John McCain in the past has been such an independent Republican, in the middle politically and not completely right-wing conservative," said Cam Dunbar. "And Sarah Palin is the ultimate Republican - opposes abortion. I think it was a very smart choice to get the evangelical and Christian votes McCain wants, but I don't think it's a smart choice to get the Hillary Clinton votes because Palin and Clinton are completely different women with completely different views.
Dunbar said she has no experience with foreign policy, and if McCain is elected for eight years, it's very possible that Palin could be president with little experience in foreign affairs.
However, some students disagree, sensing that McCain wisely believes that Palin will draw in greater numbers of female votes and strategically take away attention from the Obama campaign.
"It's a brilliant political choice," said senior political science teaching Assistant Reuven Dashevsky. "Because after the whole fight between Obama and Clinton, a lot of Clinton's feminist supporters were upset that she had lost. And even though [Palin] is a conservative woman, [McCain] might be able to draw those votes. Also, the timing of [his announcement] was right around the time of Obama's speech at the Democratic convention and deflected any press from focusing on what should have been 'Democratic time,' which is what politics is all about, I guess."
Many University of Massachusetts students expressed bewilderment at Palin's selection, stating that they feel she lacks experience. She has fewer than two years in office as the 11th female governor and the first of Alaska. Palin's political career also includes a two-term service on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as mayor/manager of Wasilla, an Alaskan town with an estimated population of 8,471 according to the U.S. Census Bureau as of 2005.
"John McCain in the past has been such an independent Republican, in the middle politically and not completely right-wing conservative," said Cam Dunbar. "And Sarah Palin is the ultimate Republican - opposes abortion. I think it was a very smart choice to get the evangelical and Christian votes McCain wants, but I don't think it's a smart choice to get the Hillary Clinton votes because Palin and Clinton are completely different women with completely different views.
Dunbar said she has no experience with foreign policy, and if McCain is elected for eight years, it's very possible that Palin could be president with little experience in foreign affairs.
However, some students disagree, sensing that McCain wisely believes that Palin will draw in greater numbers of female votes and strategically take away attention from the Obama campaign.
"It's a brilliant political choice," said senior political science teaching Assistant Reuven Dashevsky. "Because after the whole fight between Obama and Clinton, a lot of Clinton's feminist supporters were upset that she had lost. And even though [Palin] is a conservative woman, [McCain] might be able to draw those votes. Also, the timing of [his announcement] was right around the time of Obama's speech at the Democratic convention and deflected any press from focusing on what should have been 'Democratic time,' which is what politics is all about, I guess."
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