It's the Economy Stupid

It is astonishing how quickly John McCain’s prodigy, the reverend Sarah Palin, has fallen out of the media spotlight. It might be the post-republican convention bump has faded into the distance, or could it be that the US faces a real crisis, an economic crisis, that could herald the fall of capitalism, similar to the fall of communism not that long ago.

The rightwing are nursing their hangovers after drinking from the Palin cup; and now face the realities of a new dawn. The US financial markets and consequently their 401K plans are in trouble. Their ubiquitous 401’s or retirement funds, that were pushed on the US folk as a means for them to control their own financial destiny, (“How’s that working for ye?” as Dr. Phil says.) could crumble before their own eye’s, like yesterdays news headlines about hockey moms and lipstick.

Now it appears that the good ol US of A is in a crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Suddenly, Palin’s shortcoming as a possible vice president (God forbid President) flood into the light. She has no real economic experience – except running Wasilla’s town budget for two terms as Mayor – leaving it in debt. We know John McCain has no economic clue. We only have to look at his economic advisers to figure that out. Phil Graham, the former Senator from Texas and one of McCain’s top economic advisor’s called the fiscal crisis a ‘mental recession.’

So, after all of Palin’s talk about guns, hockey moms and keeping us safe from the Russia seems pointless – like running an air conditioner in winter, when faced with real challenges. The shallowness of McCain’s choice becomes apparent. You wonder if he now wishes he had chosen a different ‘maverick’, maybe one with more experience, like Mitt Romney.