I've Never Been "Vetted"

Every presidential year, the process of the nominees in picking out their running mates is fascinating to watch. This year…..even more so!

Obama passes over Hillary to pick Biden. McCain passes over everybody in the lower 48 to pick Palin. And through it all, a word that is virtually never used outside an election year gets a presidential workout.

Vetted. Vet. To vet or not to vet. That is the question. A verb, a process, a procedure. Used as a noun in non-election years, it’s the abbreviation of veterinarian. It’s OK to take your dog to the vet. It’s not OK to vet your dog, unless, of course, you suspect your hound once accepted illegal PAC money.

First of all, it sounds painful. Sounds like you’re eviscerating a deer carcass. I imagine it is zero fun for the political underlings who are charged with turning over every stone in someone’s political, personal and professional life, hoping not to find the kind of thing that tabloids live on.

Arguments will rage over the latest “vetting”. Did McCain spend more than just a hasty few hours researching his running mate’s background after Joe Lieberman was overruled as his choice by the party elite? Perhaps we will never know, but I don’t envy the participants or their families, subjected to the glaring spotlight of intense scrutiny.

I’ve never been vetted—and the country is better off for it. I’ll wait by the phone for the call from whomever is left in the race…..oops…gotta go.

Ron Paul is on line one.