“I’m just like you. That’s how one pundit characterized Gov. Sarah Palin’s message in last week’s vice presidential debate. Seventy million Americans saw that; the darn and doggone comments. For those who couldn’t place it, that accent was right out of the Midwest.”
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I’m just like you.

That’s how one pundit characterized Gov. Sarah Palin’s message in last week’s vice presidential debate.

Seventy million Americans saw that; the darn and doggone comments. For those who couldn’t place it, that accent was right out of the Midwest. Sounded Minnesotan to me.

If you’ve seen Fargo, you’ve heard it before. That accent is no accident. It’s meant to conjure up images of cozy, Midwestern towns where people really do care about one another.

Think Main Street, U.S.A. In fact, Palin even used the Main Street reference. Multiple times.

Granted, her persona is a much-needed and refreshing change of pace for the McCain camp. But that’s not saying a whole lot for McCain and his personality.

Palin tried her darnedest to reach out to Joe Six Pack (who is that guy, anyway?) and hockey/soccer moms.

Whether that down-home image will translate into a win on Nov. 4 is another story. It shouldn’t, though.

Why?

Because someone like you – or me – shouldn’t be in the White House.

Let’s be honest. You’re not qualified. I’m not qualified. To put it in Palin terms, the soccer mom standing next to you on the field isn’t qualified.

Americans should want someone better than themselves to lead the nation. Of course, that’s not to say that the average American is a bad person.

But, if you could throw a rock into a group of soccer moms and hit someone who is just like Palin, then you should aim elsewhere. Like a rugby game at Harvard.

Or even a football game at Syracuse.

Do you really think it’s responsible or intelligent to vote for someone who is just like you? If you’re being honest, you don’t.

Don’t get me wrong: Tina Fey’s Saturday Night Live impressions of Palin are outrageously funny. I enjoy them as much – if not more than – the next person.

The problem is, Fey isn’t really exaggerating Palin’s mannerisms and comments. For all intents and purposes, she’s mimicking the veep hopeful. That’s not good.

Palin should quit the cutesy act. After all, she’s not running for mayor of a Podunk town in Alaska. She’s the running mate to the candidate for president of the United States.

She should start acting like it.

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