I'm sure it'll be fine...just fine

Today, as I was driving along, listening to NPR (yes, that's my radio station of choice), I heard something that concerned me. I am not going to get into political views on my blog. So this is just an observation of what I heard. Senator McCain was talking about his running mate, Sarah Palin, who is participating in the Vice Presidential Debate tonight (which I am currently watching). McCain was asked how he thought Palin would do during the debate. Pause.What would YOU want to hear a Presidential candidate say about his running mate in response to this question? I asked Wes, and he said, "Great." Yes! I want to hear him say, "She'll do great! I have confidence in her ability." If McCain is picking this woman to potentially be the next Vice President, he had better think she is great (or at least, tell us that). Play. He said, "Fine...When she's in front of the American public, she does just fine." Fine?! She's going to do just fine?" Groan.

On another note, I have to make a clarification about a word that some people of prominence unfortunately mispronounce. This is a linguistic slap on the hand, not a political one (although I am sure it would help politically to make sure you are pronouncing this all-important word correctly). It's the word nuclear. It's pronounced like it's spelled, not "nucular." I looked it up in Webster's Dictionary, and it actually says in a call-out box, "PRONUNCIATION: The word nuclear is correctly pronounced /nooklee ər/. The often-heard / nookyələr/ is incorrect." Though the internet version of Webster's Dictionary dismisses this as acceptable because two presidents have now pronounced it this way, it still rubs me the wrong way. I am not perfect—I said the word "alblum" for 16 years before I was corrected. (But I am not on national television...)