Neccessary kudos to John McCain and the Republican Party for nominating someone who isn’t a white male to a prominent position on their ticket.

There is a funny phrase in Star Trek VI, when Spock remarks that “Only Nixon could go to China”, when Captain Kirk expresses his outrage on having to present an olive branch to the Klingons. Essentially, what Spock means that when a group long opposed to something engages in it, real progress is being made.

So, when Republicans on a national level nominate someone who isn’t a white male to a prominent elected post, it seems to me to indicate that the racial and gender roles really are starting to break down.

Now, granted: the question becomes, would Sarah Palin have recieved the VP nod if, of the Democratic Party’s four strongest contenders, all had been white males? Would Sarah Palin have recieved the VP nod if the GOP wasn’t hoping to draw aliented Clinton supporters away from the Democrats?

I like to think so. But I just can’t help but being cynical. Here’s my big question, though:

If, according to John McCain, Barack Obama does not have the experience neccessary to be Commander-in-Chief, after two years in the Senate, and with his state legislative experience, will someone explain to me how McCain feels his Vice Presidential pick, Sarah Palin (Alaska’s governor) has the neccessary experience? She’s been governor for a year and a half of Alaska and her previous political experience was in local politics as mayor of a “city” of 8,000 people.

I guess McCain was against unqualified candidates before he was for them.