Everywhere I look recently – on every newspaper page, tabloid rack and television screen – I see her face beaming back at me. No, not Oprah or Angelina. This week, everyone’s gossip, speculation and TMZ searches are focused on Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
Palin’s splashy debut at the RNC convention achieved a key political goal for conservatives: it put the focus on her and distracted viewers from the issues. And the media is gobbling it up. Much to my dismay and embarrassment, I’ve heard far more about her daughter’s personal life than I have about Palin’s plan for healthcare.
I understand that her selection is big news. But it should be making headlines because Palin’s positions are so radically different from those held by you, me and the majority of all Americans. She is firmly in the minority when it comes to her views on the causes of global warming, how to solve our energy crisis, God's role in the war in Iraq, a woman's right to choose, abstinence-only “education”, and the "theory" of evolution, to name a few. Her views affirm our worst fears about John McCain's shift to the right, or his willingness to pander to the right, or both.
But despite what the tabloids and the networks keep trying to tell us, we know that this election isn't about Sarah Palin. It’s not even about John McCain or Barack Obama.
It's about you. You have the power to make the difference in this election.
You can call or e-mail a friend, neighbor, or relative. You can take a Saturday afternoon to help register new voters or talk with undecided voters in your neighborhood. Across the country, the numbers of people deciding to take these steps are growing every day. And we're doing everything we can to help them. We are organizing a massive grassroots campaign that is led by volunteers like you. Working together, we will identify and persuade tens of thousands of undecided voters in key states around the country, and turn out the pro-Obama vote on Election Day.
Click here to join the growing numbers of people who are using their power to help elect Barack Obama.
You don't have to be on the ticket to make big difference this November. You have the power to change the direction of this country. Get involved.
