I would not have thought it possible, but McCain and his advisers have made the perfect vice presidential selection in Sarah Palin. It is an ingenious, even thrilling choice, and one that is all the more remarkable in that it was completely unexpected. All the other candidates, such as Romney and Pawlenty, were boring and came with serious drawbacks. Obama has certainly added excitement to the Democratic ticket; now, with his choice of Palin, McCain has done the same for the Republicans.
Compare Obama's unimaginative selection of Joe Biden--another Washington D.C. blowhard--with McCain's choice. I suppose Biden is supposed to win over lower-middle-class white voters by the fact that he is a backslapping good old boy who likes to watch football games and eat chili dogs. What Biden offers is a proven record of mediocrity, and perhaps he can appeal to mediocre people on the basis of a shared absence of accomplisment.
I'm not saying that Palin has accomplished much either. What she has is potential. The Obama camp has already released its first commercial attacking Palin. But how ridiculous does Obama sound in faulting her for lack of experience? Palin is serving her first term as governor, but then Obama is serving his first term as senator. Palin has no foreign policy experience and has only been to Iraq once; Obama's level of foreign policy experience is exactly the same. It's worth noting, in this context, that Obama, unlike Palin, is at the top of the ticket. Palin will at least have a chance to learn on the job; Obama wants to step right into the Oval Office. So every time the Democrats use the experience charge against Palin, they remind the American people of Obama's greatest weakness.
Here's why Palin is such a good choice. She seems like an incredibly wholesome person who doesn't so much talk about family values as embody them. This is the best kind of social conservative: one whose life is an exemplar of the kind of American dream that we can all admire. In attacking her, I think her critics like Paul Begala and James Carville sound like total jerks. I'd like to see more of those carping attack dogs on TV: they can only help Palin.
With her support for a muscular foreign policy and guns and oil drilling, Palin is an across-the-board conservative, which will reinforce McCain's credentials with the right-wing base of the party. Not that those guys had anyone else to vote for, but the choice of Palin will increase the enthusiasm of GOP activists in working hard for a McCain victory. Second, unlike Bush, McCain has chosen a deputy who can be a future leader of the Republican Party. Palin is also young and thus helps to neutralize Obama's youthful advantage. As a woman, Palin will not so much win over the disenchanted Hillary supporters as pick up Hillary's argument to independent voters that it's about time America had a strong woman in its top echelons of political office. For every Obama supporter who can claim an historic first for the Democrats, Palin enthusiasts can make an equal historic claim for the Republicans.
The media will continue to lionize Obama-Biden and attack McCain-Palin. It's only a short time before we start hearing that Palin is the "wrong kind of woman." (Would anyone dare argue that Obama is the "wrong kind of black man"?) Still, the American people have gotten pretty good at seeing through the media charade. A whole summer of media genuflections hasn't produced a substantial Democratic lead. For months, McCain and Obama have remained virtually tied. Now, with Palin, the Republicans have their first chance to pull ahead.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 22)
31. I cannot help but wonder if the photo op trip to New Orelens was the main purpose for Mccain going there or if it was a way to avoid having G W Bush give a speech at the convention.
Jerry Brown at 12:11AM on Sep 1st 2008
32.
2008 Democrat National Convention
Schedule of Events
7:00 pm OPENING FLAG BURNING
7:15 pm PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE U.N.
7:20 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
7:25 pm NONRELIGIOUS PRAYER AND WORSHIP- Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton
7:45 pm CEREMONIAL TREE HUGGING - Darryl Hannah
7:55 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
8:00 pm HOW I INVENTED THE INTERNET- Al Gore
8:15 pm GAY WEDDING PLANNING - Rosie O'Donnell
8:35 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
8:40 pm OUR TROOPS ARE WAR CRIMINALS - John Kerry
9.00 pm MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR SADDAM AND HIS SONS - Cindy Sheehan and Susan Sarandon
10:00 pm ANSWERING MACHINE ETIQUETTE - Alec Baldwin
11:00 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
11:05 pm COLLECTION FOR THE OSAMA BIN LADEN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT FUND - Barbara Streisand
11:15 pm FREE THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS FROM GUANTANAMO BAY - Sean Penn
11:30 pm OVAL OFFICE AFFAIRS - William Jefferson Clinton
11:45 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
11:50 pm HOW GEORGE BUSH BROUGHT DOWN THE WORLD TRADE TOWERS - Howard Dean
12:15 am TRUTH IN BROADCASTING AWARD - Presented to Dan Rather by Michael Moore
12:25 am Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
12:30 am SATELLITE ADDRESS - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
12:45 am NOMINATION OF BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA - Nancy Pelosi
1:00 am Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
1:05 am CORONATION OF BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
1:30 am Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
1:35 am Bill Clinton asksTed Kennedy to drive Hilary home.
Man_in_Wilderness at 12:11AM on Sep 1st 2008
33. William,
Long time. We disagree on mostly everything, but politically, I couldn't agree with you more. Your points are right on target in my opinion.
If elections were based off of these blog posts that I see around, we'd be in trouble. The question remains, has this country gotten smarter in the last 4 years or not?
What amazes me, is the hype she's receiving and the excitement from the Republicans, who know nothing about her. It really shows me the intelligence level and gullibility of the followers.
McCain has made a mistake with this pick in my opinion. He knows nothing about her. She will be scrutinized, and she better hope, that she has nothing in that closet of hers. This is just another Dan Quayle pick. Bad move.
Botts at 12:14AM on Sep 1st 2008
34.
2008 Democrat National Convention
Schedule of Events
7:00 pm OPENING FLAG BURNING
7:15 pm PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE U.N.
7:20 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
7:25 pm NONRELIGIOUS PRAYER AND WORSHIP- Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton
7:45 pm CEREMONIAL TREE HUGGING - Darryl Hannah
7:55 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
8:00 pm HOW I INVENTED THE INTERNET- Al Gore
8:15 pm GAY WEDDING PLANNING - Rosie O'Donnell
8:35 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
8:40 pm OUR TROOPS ARE WAR CRIMINALS - John Kerry
9.00 pm MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR SADDAM AND HIS SONS - Cindy Sheehan and Susan Sarandon
10:00 pm ANSWERING MACHINE ETIQUETTE - Alec Baldwin
11:00 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
11:05 pm COLLECTION FOR THE OSAMA BIN LADEN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT FUND - Barbara Streisand
11:15 pm FREE THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS FROM GUANTANAMO BAY - Sean Penn
11:30 pm OVAL OFFICE AFFAIRS - William Jefferson Clinton
11:45 pm Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
11:50 pm HOW GEORGE BUSH BROUGHT DOWN THE WORLD TRADE TOWERS - Howard Dean
12:15 am TRUTH IN BROADCASTING AWARD - Presented to Dan Rather by Michael Moore
12:25 am Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
12:30 am SATELLITE ADDRESS - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
12:45 am NOMINATION OF BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA - Nancy Pelosi
1:00 am Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
1:05 am CORONATION OF BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
1:30 am Ted Kennedy PROPOSES A TOAST
1:35 am Bill Clinton asksTed Kennedy to drive Hilary home.
Man_in_Wilderness at 12:14AM on Sep 1st 2008
35. "I pledge that tomorrow night, and if necessary throughout our convention, we will act as Americans, not as Republicans," McCain told reporters
That would surly be a change, something I can agree with Mc Cain on.
Jerry Brown at 12:16AM on Sep 1st 2008
36. Ran across this quote and found it interesting:
The speaker was referring to an FDR quote defining a liberal. "It is a wonderful definition, and I agree with him. 'A liberal is a man who wants to build bridges over the chasms that separate humanity from a better life.'"
Pliny-the-in-between at 12:29AM on Sep 1st 2008
37. It's refreshing that she opposes Roe v. Wade, which really is the only reasonable position to take. It also happens to be the most intelligent. However, her comment about her nomination shattering the glass ceiling during her acceptance speech threw me off. That's something I would expect Billary to say.
kulari94 at 1:08AM on Sep 1st 2008
38. Palin's greatest asset is that she's a cypher. The only thing she brings to the table is a bland facade dolled up in red white and blue, given a flag and told to smile pretty. She's christian, but not mormon, and her token act of ousting her party's own incumbant spits a little more polish on McCain's own tarnished 'maveric' credentials. The republicans couldn't care less what her policies are. She's pretty. She doesn't have any outstanding scandals attached. She's young so no one can blame her for being inexperianced. In short, she's a neophyte who brings nothing substantial to the ticket but likewise has no overwhelming hinderances either.
Personally, I find the whole thing pretty insulting. Because I know that there are women in the republican party who have dedicated their lives to civil service and the conservative cause. What I see here is a ploy. "Look how pretty she is. Look how harmless she is. No scandal. No threat. She doesn't even know the duties of the VP... aw, how cute. And all the bitter Hillery supporters will just flock to her now because she has a vagina."
And here's the thing. I could stand her being young and inexperianced if I could see something of substance behind her tenure as govenor. I don't see it. I could stand it if she possessed an eloquence or vision that trancended the current political mire. I don't see it. Obama, for his short time in national politics, has cultivated a wide and deep field of realistic national policies that address not only the problems of today but also many of their root causes. I have yet to hear Palin talk about sustainable energy bases or to discuss a careful withdrawl from Iraq. Truthfully, I doubt I will hear little if any from her at all. After all, they're gutting the republican convention for photo-ops in the gulf.
In the end, all I can expect from Palin is a woman told to smile, look pretty, say nothing, do less, and all for a pat on the head. Exactly the last thing that America, or women for that matter, want or need.
Somber at 1:25AM on Sep 1st 2008
39. Dinesh,
I know a lot of loyal Republicans who will vote for the ticket, but they think this could be another Dan Qualye.
Certainly, this pick doesn't rank with two of the more recent inspired picks, George H.W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
George 41 had served with distinction as a pilot in the Navy during WWII, run his own business, been a Congressman, served as U.S. Envoy to China, headed the RNC, and served as CIA Director.
Cheney had served as Gerald Ford's Chief of Staff, been a Congressman, served in the House Republican leadership, served as Secretary of Defense during the Gulf War, and ran a Fortune 500 company.
Considering the level of corruption in Alaska, I've heard loyal Republicans compare her to Sprio Agnew. One of my relatives used to call him, "That two-bit crooked hack from Baltimore."
I understand that Sen. McCain is in good health and enjoys long hikes in the Sonoran Desert. His age, however, isn't a minor issue. That's why Ronald Reagan, at age 69, put Bush on the ticket, who was in his mid 50s.
Kent at 2:14AM on Sep 1st 2008
40. If you want 100% proof that voting for the republicans is voting for four more years like the last eight, the vp seals it.
Vote for them and you're doomed.
I noticed that as a state senator for seven years, Barack Obama represented about as many people as the state of alaska has, and that you could squeeze 16 of the town she was mayor of into mile high.
I grew up in a town of about 10,000 and the mayor's office was only part time.
I guess you could make it full time if you really suck at it, or tried to milk it for more than it should pay.
Anyway, she's 100% dominionist neocon. I consider those two abominations to be the thing that we'll either defeat or it will drive us into civil war.
She can't govern, but with mccorpse out of the way, she would take orders.
I can't think of anything much more evil than letting our America continue to skid down the slippery slope to fascism once the neocons and bush got both the country's feet on it eight years ago.
We won't survive four more.
They stand for corporate government, meaning whoever they part out constitutionally ordained duties governs you and they cannot be impeached or voted out of office.
Each time a corporation colludes or merges in restraint of trade or takes on a function you paid taxes to get done you lose more right to vote and they make a profit and cut back in what they provide to aid their bottom line.
Deregulation brought you tainted beef, 30 billion in welfare for Bear Stearns in one day, tainted vegetables, poison communist toys, outsourcing, corporate welfare and poison communist pet food.
It also lets muslims guard your ports and some day communists may own your roads and your sherriffs departments. That's neoconnism in full blossom with control over all three branches of government.
Selling our roads and sherriffs departments have been discussed already, and under mcbush, it will probably happen unless republicans who were burned by the last eight years vote against four more.
They have promised you a war and hinted you will get a draft. What they will get is everything you own. That is their promise and they've kept it pretty well. If you haven't had a foreclosure, you know someone who has. Thank Phil Gramm and John mcsame.
Clif Kuplen at 2:03AM on Sep 1st 2008
41. What's interesting is that Jim Hightower of Texas said that McCain's selection is mere pandering, and that Democrats aren't going to vote Republican, just because there is a woman on the ticket.
Meanwhile, Geraldine Ferraro said that she expects many women, as well as men, who supported Hillary and feel the Democrat Party treated her unfairly will vote for McCain, because he picked a woman.
Maybe the Democrats ought to get their stories straight before going on TV. At least when the Democrats do something newsworthy, pretty much every Republican from Rudy Guiliani to Fred Thompson offers the same criticism.
Kent at 2:15AM on Sep 1st 2008
42. Maybe the Democrats ought to get their stories straight before going on TV. At least when the Democrats do something newsworthy, pretty much every Republican from Rudy Guiliani to Fred Thompson offers the same criticism.
Kent at 2:15AM on Sep 1st 2008
That's because a few democrats may think for themselves, instead of just repeating talking points given to them from above.
Think about it, does that every member of the party not only repeats the same idea they often use the same exact words really seem like a good thing?
tmo at 2:46AM on Sep 1st 2008
43. WE had heard of her, that's who - the people of Alaska, a state that the rest of the country seems to forget exists.
And people need to stop whining about ANWR and that she refused to but the Polar bear on the endangered list. Does anyone down in the lower 48 have a clue about our state?? No. Stop trying to legislate where you've never been. As our governor said - if we wanted a bridge, we would have built one. We don't want your small-minded interference.
ANWR is a wasteland. And polar bears are plentiful. You wanted to put them on the list because its possible that someday they might be endangered???? What? And restrict our resources for a bear that eats people??? Goes to show you people no nothing about Alaska. Which is fine, stay out of our state and stop legislating us.
Palin holds an 80% approval rate right now. How's your governor doing????
Jlp at 12:54PM on Sep 1st 2008
44. Man_in_wilderness
You missed that at 11:10, Clif Krupin emerged from under his rock.
Robert OKane at 3:21AM on Sep 1st 2008
45. Two years ago, Sarah Palin was the mayor of a town of 6,000 people. I'm sure that prepared her very well for running the giant government of the United States of America. Maybe next week we can appoint the D.A. of Kodiak to be the attorney general.
Let's face it, kids can't manage baseball teams, apes can't run TV networks, and Great Danes can't be detectives. Lots of things that make great film plots don't work in real life. Sarah Palin's story is an attractive one, and I'm sure we'd all love to see the small-town unknown end up as the Vice-President of the US, but someone who was until 18 months ago the mayor of a town of 6,000 people is not the right person to be one heart attack, stroke or bullet from the Presidency.
Jon at 3:38AM on Sep 1st 2008