McCain Picks Palin for VP: A Giant Step for Tokenism, Not Diversity

to be one step away from the presidency of the United States (with a 72-year-old president, no less). It’s not fair to say that Palin’s resume is thin; I’d rather say it is incomplete–a promising start to what could be a truly accomplished political career.

So what it boils down to is that Palin was selected over far more qualified candidates, male and female, for one reason, and one reason alone–she is a woman. In my view, this is a thinly-veiled and pathetic attempt to pander to Clinton supporters who still may not have committed to Obama, despite calls for Democratic unity from Clinton herself.

Supporters of Clinton need to send a strong message in November. They don’t support Hillary just because she is a woman. They support her because she is a qualified woman, a true icon of political achievement, and a worthy role model of diversity in American politics and life. Choosing an unqualified female candidate and expecting her to win female voters just because she is female is not a groundbreaking step for diversity, but a giant step–backwards–for tokenism.

Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton–not even close.

Alfred A. Edmond Jr. is the editor-in-chief of BlackEnterprise.com