Just Stuff

Much debate has arisen about the experience factor of Gov. Sarah Palin after her selection by Sen. McCain as his Vice-Preidential candidate. For those of us who are old enough, it recalls a similar situation some forty years ago.

In 1968, Richard Nixon selected Spiro T. Agnew, the governor of Maryland, as his vice-presidential running mate. The announcement came as a surprise to many observers who had not heard of the person selected, who at the time, was in his first term as Governor of Maryland, being elected in 1966. His prior elected political career at the time he ran for Governor had been, as I recall, holding an office in the Baltimore, Maryland City Executive, for some three to four years. Again, from memory, his selection was a part of the GOP "Southern Strategy".

Fast forward forty years. Again, the GOP has selected a little-known governor in the first term to be its vice-presidential candidate, whose prior experience in elected office was as a mayor of a small town. Apparently, the selection is again based upon a perceived political need; this time, to bring a younger, female candidate to the ticket who, in addition to appealing to the "base", would hopefully appeal to women voters, especially the "independent" ones that both parties court.

I'm not suggesting any other similarities between Gov. Agnew and Gov. Palin. But, the comparison to "Dan Quayle in a skirt" doesn't hold, in my mind. Rather, the analogy should be to Spiro T. Agnew.