Kinsley on McCain: the Palin choice raises doubts about his honesty.
Michael Kinsley points out that the Palin choice puts a shadow over John McCain’s honesty as well as his judgment and temperament. The choice makes it clear that he never really meant all those attacks on Obama’s lack of “experience.” That’s one kind of lie. And to defend the choice he and his friends are forced to pretend that Palin’s eighteen months running Alaska and six years as mayor of a small town are relevant “experience” for her appearance on the world stage.
For someone running on “honor” and “integrity,” that’s pretty bad. No?
Author: Mark Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out.
Books:
Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken)
When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist
Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993)
Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989)
UCLA Homepage
Curriculum Vitae
Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com
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