For the past two days something has been itching at that corner of my subconscious which, in my earlier days, used to be dedicated to working out the ethics and philosophy issues in my college classes.

Tonight, watching with an admittedly jaundiced eye the RNC and the commentary afterward it finally bubbled up to the surface and now I know why I am so uncomfortable with Governor Palin.

It isn't that she is a mom of 5 - I have kids and I know anyone who can keep a family going can run any nation on earth.  It isn't that her daughter is pregnant out of wedlock - If that were a crime half the great men in history would be the children of jailbirds.  It isn't even that she's a Republican - less of a failing than a delusion to my mind.

The issue for me is what I see when I get under the hair, behind the lipstick and past the 'look you in the eye - moose hunter' attitude. What I see is George W. Bush looking back at me.

I see a Mayor who led a campaign to ban books from the public library, apparently seeming to claim some form of 'ownership' (emphasis mine) over the morals and standards of the town.   I see a Governor who claims to be a reformer and to stand against 'big oil' but has repeatedly gone to bat for the oil companies to ensure that environmental bills did not affect their profits. I see a Vice Presidential Candidate who hired lawyers to delay her own investigation so that the process of determining truth would not be seen to affect the popularity of her candidate.

And most distressing to me, I see a claim to a 'divine right' of her philosophies to override any other thought, lifestyle or culture because 'its american'. Well, the Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Blacks, Whites and Purples are also American. America isnt a jigsaw puzzle made of one shape/one colour pieces. It is part of a great global mix and if America wishes to be the dominant force it was 15 or 20 years ago it will have to earn that right by its leadership in economic development, assistance to underprivileged nations, development of safe sane energy practices and many many other fields that have fallen by the wayside in the search for some sort of divine manifest destiny.

America is not great just because it is America. America is great when it acts in such a way as to show leadership in the world by example.