McCain’s VP choice

Re “McCain changes the equation,” Aug. 30

John McCain’s politics-before-country selection of Gov. Sarah Palin is an insult to the women who backed Hillary Clinton.

As Clinton’s admirers, we agree with her core values. Assuming that we will switch to a novice merely because we have the same reproductive organs is a major mistake.

Arline M. Mathews

Chatsworth

The writer ran as a Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives in 1974.

Clinton mined a deep reservoir of democratic women enthralled with breaking the last glass ceiling. It’s very easy to dismiss McCain’s choice of Palin as a misguided attempt to tap into that same reservoir, but I suspect McCain has something craftier in mind. He may be hoping he can tap a second, as yet undiscovered reservoir of conservative women who hold the same unrequited dream.

Can Palin do it? She’s tough, smart, ambitious and personable, and may well devour the long-winded Joe Biden for lunch in their debate. Democrats should listen to Alaskans who tell us their landscape is littered with the bodies of those who underestimated Sarah Palin.

Miguel Munoz

Los Angeles

Re “The making of the candidate,” Aug. 31

Nice family photo of Palin and one of her children admiring the magnificent caribou they’ve just slaughtered. It’s always inspiring to see compassionate conservatism in action.

J. Berinstein

Northridge

Re “GOP wasn’t expecting this challenge,” Sept. 2

When I opened the paper this morning, my blood boiled.

Even if the story of Palin’s daughter being pregnant is newsworthy -- which I highly doubt -- it was absolutely unnecessary to put her picture above the fold on your front page.

This young woman is not a candidate, not a public figure, not a media darling, not a potential replacement president.

Sherrill Boller

Los Angeles

The Times’ article describes Bristol Palin’s decision to marry the father of her unborn child as “a move that drew widespread praise from religious leaders and convention delegates.”

Why is the decision of a 17-year-old girl, made under the glare of publicity, an occasion for praise from anyone outside her family?

Maybe these religious leaders and delegates haven’t seen the movie “Juno,” which shows, quite effectively, that an unwed teenage mother has other choices (beyond abortion, which is understandably not an option for this girl) than just succumbing to the momentum of the decisions that led to her becoming pregnant in the first place.

Silvio Nardoni

Glendale

The religious right has been quick to praise Palin’s daughter for her “right” choice to carry her baby to term. Why aren’t they as quick to condemn her for making the “wrong” choice, as taught by abstinence-only education?

Bruce Phillips

Covina

I find Palin’s statement that she and her husband are proud of their daughter Bristol’s “decision to have her baby” interesting in view of the fact that Palin, McCain and the rest of the Republican Party would deny that “decision” to other parents’ daughters.

Charles R. McKirdy

Poway

In this undersupervised society, teenage couples get pregnant.

In the Palins’ case -- to us conservatives -- the scandal would have been if Bristol had had an abortion. When presented with the pregnancy, Bristol and her family made the right choice. They chose life.

Jessica Shaver

Long Beach

The key issue with McCain’s vice presidential choice should have nothing to do with teen pregnancy. The issue isn’t even Palin’s political background. She has progressed well in her career at a local and state level. The most significant issue is McCain’s judgment.

In selecting a nominee who has minimal experience and stature on a national and international level, and being willing to entrust the well-being of the nation in the hands of that person, he clearly is not respecting the seriousness of the economic, environmental and international challenges that our country faces.

Putting “Country First” does not include selecting a minimally qualified running mate for whatever voting blocs that candidate may attract. McCain may have a lot of political experience, but his judgment leaves much to be desired.

Bill Hessell

Culver City

If McCain cannot even fully investigate the background of his own pick, can we trust him to ascertain the existence of weapons of mass destruction? Voter beware!

Jennifer

Shneiderman

Los Angeles