I am constantly having this discussion with my 13-year old daughter. Whatever it is, come tell me. You would much rather I hear it from you first. If I hear it from someone else, you can't control the message. Facts and details that are clear to you may become fuzzy or embellished with the retelling and by the time it gets to me the little argument becomes nuclear winter.
Would we agree that I might need to have this conversation with our political figures?
Let me say up front, for the record, that I am a registered Republican. I'm not a one-punch for the ticket kind of guy, but it would be a rare occurrence to find me supporting another capital draining piece of tax the rich social legislation.
With that said let's take a brief look at Sara's strike one and two foul balls.
- Husband's drunk driving charge: Foul ball. As someone currently running for elected office myself, if this is what you are coming after me with, I'll take it with a smile. Not that I have a husband which I do not), but that my spouse, in the past, made a bad decision and paid the price (which she did not). This no more sticks to her than Elizabeth Edward's depression did to John...
- Hired an attorney to defend an ethics probe: Foul Ball+. A foul ball is a foul ball is a foul ball, but this one stands to play a little uglier in the press. Regardless of the facts, it screams 'emotional woman' to be investigated for ALLEGEDLY dismissing a top law enforcement official for not firing your sister's ex-husband. The label is probably bunk, but once that label is affixed to your behind, it's tough to get it off. It's right up there with the old "have you stopped beating your wife yet?"
- Pregnant unmarried 17-year old daughter: Strike one. This is not a blog about family values so don't try to read between the lines for social commentary. If there is any found here it is incidental or accidental.
I am going to give the big brains that vetted the VP candidates the benefit of the doubt. They had to have known all three of these things and about sixty more that are still in the closet just like all of us have 63ish things that might be a little embarrassing if made public. So, if I am an experienced, savvy political strategist that is given this candidate to present to the nation as the potential Vice President, isn't it my job to control the message? In my humble opinion this should have come from her on day 1 of the introduction so it could be presented as a personal family matter. Not that everybody would have swallowed it, but at least the plate would have been more attractively set.
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