Secessionist to become GOP Candidate for Vice President

One of the things I have commented upon and many of us who read this blog have repeatedly noted is the mainstreaming of extremist political views though establishment candidates.  Nancy Reagan's recognition of David Duke is but one well worn example of the weird story of how extremists have made in-roads into the Republican party machinery.  While Duke was ultimately unsuccessful as a person, his ideas about immigration, for example, have been embraced by the party.  Last I heard the GOP was the party of the new wall.

Many of us are again raising this question on whether extremists are now taking over the GOP.  We have to ask if this is occurring again with John McCain's odd selection of Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.  In his efforts to reach disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters, we ask a question that must be answered:  Is McCain energizing extremist factions who have used the label of the GOP to further their own damaging agenda?  Does this sound familiar?  (And this not even considering how out-of-touch much of the GOP is when compared to the electorate.)

Every once in a while the  media (especially some well known newspapers) in Canada and England go full bore on a story that mainstream American news media will not touch because their corporate bosses will not let them or to do so will "offend readers."   

This article from the Guardian is one of those moments of clarity provided by reporting from outside the United States.  We are well aware that some extreme right-wing elements have periodically erupted with campaigns to have one or more states secede from the Union (remember the Republic of Texas folks?).  While these groups often have different agendas, their goal is always the same and that it to throw off the perceived "tyranny" of the federal government by dismantling it.

One example of this bizarre rhetoric are the actions of the late Rep. Helen Chenoweth who represented the first district in Idaho for three terms. Or the electoral victories of David Duke in Louisiana or Thomas Metzger in Fallbrook, California would be other unfortunate examples examples of noxious extremist efforts to supposedly dismantle the state to save the state.   Ugly extremism cannot be changed by setting it up in a pretty dress?

Speaking of dressing up bad ideas.  We have Sarah Palin.  While Palin does not come from Louisiana or Texas, she does come by her extremism from Alaska.  And in the case of Alaska, the goal is to sequester the state's oil wealth.  What makes this extremist fringe efforts in Alaska significant is that John McCain has selected a proponent of this bizarre rhetoric a running mate.  Sarah Palin IS a proponent of Alaska's drive for separation from the rest of the country.  She's a separatist with ambitions.

New revelations about Palin — including her membership of a party that wants Alaskans to vote on becoming a separate country — are raising questions for any thinking person about how thoroughly John McCain's campaign vetted her background before adding her to the ticket.  If in their effort to siphon votes away from Obama, if they vetted her at all.

Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence party (AIP) before becoming an elected Republican official, according to party members, and recorded a video message for the AIP convention this year.  The AIP's chief goal is securing a vote on whether or not Alaska should secede from the United States, a goal that party leaders believe the state was denied before it became part of the union almost fifty years ago.

We must also note that the LA Time also covers the story, but the lead is the effort among the Republicans are making to hide Palin's extremist past despite her featured appearance as recently as last winter at a conference of AIP - Alaskan Independence Party.  Talk about the Nancy Reagan shuffle.

Tonight, Sarah Palin will be nominated as the Republican Party's choice for vice president of the United States. But back home, she has cheered the work of a tiny party that long has pushed for a statewide vote on whether Alaska should secede from that self same United States.  This must make for some confusion to say the least.