Yet More Palin
| Fri Aug. 29, 2008 9:41 AM PDT
YET MORE PALIN....Well, Palin just managed to get a crowd of 10,000 Republican die-hards to throw up a huge cheer for Hillary Clinton. That's a first.
This whole thing is crazy. Various conservatives and TV talking heads, now that they've gotten used to Palin, seem to be working hard to dig up reasons why she's the most brilliant choice ever. She's a reformer, her son is headed to Iraq, her husband is a union member, anybody with five kids knows how to handle pressure, she's popular with Alaska voters, women are going to love her, etc. etc.
Look, call me a partisan hack. Whatever. But I'm just stunned by the cynicism of the whole thing. I'm sure Palin is a fine person, loving mother, devoted wife, learning her way as governor, and so forth. But a heartbeat away from the presidency? Someone with virtually no serious political experience, and no serious experience of any other kind to make up for it? She's going to shake up Washington?
I don't know how she'll do on the stump or in the debates. Maybe she'll be great. Who knows? But a potential leader of the free world? You gotta be kidding.
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Comments
As others have pointed out, the Obama campaign would be wise not to focus on her lack of experience. Rather, they should make the point that McCain was being very disingenuous by suggesting all that matters is experience.
Clearly he thinks his VP can be a heartbeat away. So too, is Obama ready to lead on day one.
Jeff, the short answer is NO.
Obama is actually much more experienced that Palin.
More importantly we all, all of us, have had over a year to vet Obama ourselves. We have seen how he thinks and how he reacts. There isn't enough time for the American people to properly figure out if Gov. Palin is presidential timber.
Submitted by JMaultasch (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 9:58 AM PDT.
WOW! I think she just gave a kick ass performance and announced a totally new McCain campaign. He's shifting from running on foreign policy/Commander in Chief to focusing on domestic issues - energy and the economy. This is the McCain of 2000 combined with Bush's 2000 "compassionate conservativism" I think this makes for a tough campaign.
The real test - how quickly will Hillary Clinton denounce her far right politics?
i fell out of bed laughing when i heard the announcement. any minute they're going to break out the klown kar.
but seriously, i think mccain "chose" palin because no one else was willing to trash what little remains of their reputation to "run" with mccain.
Will Obama campaign push the CYNICAL theme? That McCain seems to think that just nominating a woman will be enough of Hillary supporters. That she is no Hillary, no Condi, etc. And that Oprah is more qualified to run the country.
Also, when considering those so-called disaffected Hillary voters ... they saw her as someone who had fought all those old battles and one reason for disgust with Obama wasn't just his gender -- it was his age. It was that mix. And it's hard NOT to understand it -- professional, successful women seeing the hot new man get the promotions, adulation, etc.
Well, for many professional successful women, it's even worse when the old fart executive gets charmed by the beauty queen with scant accomplishment and promotes her.
This is a dangerous pick for the McCain campaign. Feels like a Hail Mary thrown in the second quarter.
Also ... why not push a quote like this: "We're glad to see john McCain is coming around to the view that you don't need to spend decades in washington to be qualified."
After reading Charlie Homas' post on your old stomping grounds, Kevin, (Washington Monthly), now I wonder if Sarah represents McCain's attempt to go after Obama on the 'change' theme. She apparently did go after some of the corruption in the Republican establishment in Alaska and thus propel herself into popularity and power. Most Republicans would vote for McCain if he had a chimp as his running mate (they understand it's all about the power of the presidency), but I wonder if Sarah can make a run at Independent voters. She apparently is extremely likable (high Q score??) Nahhh, they ain't that stupid.
This pick really fits with modern GOP political thinking - tactically brilliant but strategically idiotic.
Tactically, it does a good a job stomping Obama's convention bounce as anything and it gives a real shot of energy to McCain's campaign.
Strategically, Palin prevents McCain from making any sort of experience argument against Obama while not completely defusing Obama's "more of the same" argument against McCain, she can only be an effective campaigner on social or economic issues, but McCain is at his weakest when those are what everyone is talking about.
So, McCain has picked a momentary feel good moment and destroyed his main weapon against Obama and will actual suffer the more the campaign focuses on the areas Palin might be good at.
Mike
I think she was McCain's best chance. All the others had too many problems--so go with a nobody that you can control the framing for. The strategy for Obama should be to ignore her--make this about Bush/McSame. I'd put Hillary on her then sit back with some popcorn and enjoy the show.
A brilliant tactic, and it's worked. All of you have already forgotten about McCain's insane policies, and are focusing on his VP pick. As if anyone has ever cared who was running for VP (remember Dan Quale?). Up next: a dancing bear!
But I'm just stunned by the cynicism of the whole thing.
I was surprised by the cynicism of the Obamabots in declaring racism everywhere.
McCain's choice of a woman? That was predicted a long time ago. It was the obvious move in response to the shabby way Obamabots have treated anyone who respectfully disagreed with them.
The best part about Obama is Obama. The worst part about Obama is his supporters, especially those with blogs.
McCain looked much like a sugar-daddy up on the stage with his little bimbo Sarah today, as she cooed "John McCain is a GREAT man". This craven ploy will not win over the Hillary die-hards because Palin is hard-line anti-abortion. She sings to the choir but not to the feminists.
Two things.
1. Did anyone else see the empty seats? Perhaps Palin will excite the base enough that she'll close the enthusiasm gap, but as others have noted, they had to give away the tickets today, and they still couldn't get the place filled. Obama's speech, on the other hand, sold out in less than a day. If Palin can't get the base excited, then I think McCain's going to lose simply because of that reason.
2. I think it was on this blog that someone said Palin's press secretary played the media for a bunch of fools when they announced that she'd be at the fair that was held last week in a different city watching fireworks at 5:00 AM. Granted, I fell for it, too, and if you don't know Alaska, it's pretty hard to know that it was a load, but it's still pretty damn clever.
I think people are underestimating the extent to which Obama-Biden will have to treat Palin with kid gloves.
The media are going to absolutely dwell on a bunch of Palin positives.
She's a mom of five
Her husband is a fisherman/oilworker
she has a baby with Down's Syndrome
her son is in the military
I say ignore her (sending the correct message, she is irrelevant) and go straight at McCain.
Ignore her until she screws up that is. She, and her team, have never been vetted by the press, have never had every word scrutinized, and have never been under so much pressure. Treat her respectfully until they drop the ball and then never let anyone forget she just arrived on the stage. Then the message is she is a great lady but far from ready for prime-time.
Assuming McCain doesn't win the election (which I think will happen, unless Obama pulls a monumental gaffe or two), but puts up a decent, non-landslide showing, does this elevate Palin into the forefront of GOP candidates for 2012, as losing in '04 as Kerry's running mate did for John Edwards (who of course had run for president earlier that year)? She certainly adds some sort of new dimension to the GOP equation for the future, regardless of what happens Nov. 4.
The Harriet Miers comparison is dead-on.
Republicans may be making all kinds of nice noises for the media, but you can be sure that they're already hammering McCain behind the scenes. This was an idiotic choice and McCain will surely see the light. A hurricane-delayed convention would help with the logistics, but - one way or another - it's a pretty good bet that Palin will soon discover some pressing problems in Alaska that require her to bow out of the nomination.
Did anyone else see the empty seats? Perhaps Palin will excite the base enough that she'll close the enthusiasm gap, but as others have noted, they had to give away the tickets today, and they still couldn't get the place filled.
Good point. IIRC, Obama appeared at the Nutter Center in Dayton during the primary campaign. Anyone want to check what kind of crowd he drew that day?
From Kevin:
Someone with virtually no serious political experience, and no serious experience of any other kind to make up for it? She's going to shake up Washington?
I actually don't disagree too much with this, but Obama supporters have a hard time making this charge seem serious since it also describes their presidential candidate.
If the McCain campaign intended to make Obama's inexperience the central issue, this choice seriously undermines it, but I have the feeling that his campaign managers have decided to attack elsewhere, and let the media themselves talk about inexperience at the top of the Democratic ticket and the bottom of the Republican one.
I was betting on Hutchinson and hoping for Whitman, but Palin will be interesting to watch. She could be a brilliant choice or one of the lamest ever made.
As an example in Democratic sexism, just read through the comments in this thread.
Palin = Miers?
Governor of the biggest state = Bush's personal attorney?
Choose one or more of the following: It's okay for us Democrats to be sexist, because a) we're just being ironic, or b) we're Democrats and god sings in our ears!
Doesn't seem to know much about the V-P job, or at least didnt' a couple weeks ago:
Submitted by Victoria (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 10:24 AM PDT.
I agree, Kevin. It just screams cynicism.
A BA from University of Idaho. Mayor of a town of 9200. (I grew up in a tiny town with 13,000 people. I have a real feel for this. It's Very Little.) Less than 2 years of experience as Governor of a state of 670,000. (I live in a city with that population!) Zero foreign policy experience. And old man McCain offers us this as he runs ads saying Obama lacks experience? She's ready to be Commander in Chief, is she, John? What with the two wars and all...?
I recognize that she's manna for the socially conservative base...but, gee, she just had a Downs Syndrome baby last April and she's got the time and energy to run and serve as VP. Really??? This is a wise and balanced life choice?
She seems to have a lovely personality and enjoys public dialogue. But did you see how completely disconnected she and McCain seemed in that rally? Her voice sounded so young. Can anyone imagine them as genuine working partners, a la Obama and Biden? There is just so much BS in this choice, it takes my breath away. Reporters and Dems should go after McCain-As-Cynical-Hypocrite like a charging bulls.
The more the press play up the mom of five and the youngest has Down's syndrome angle, the more people -- both men and women -- are going to ask "What is this woman thinking? She has virtual newborn with special needs and she wants to spend that child's infancy being VP?"
It's not a question of can this woman do it -- she probably can, there are lots of heroic women out there who do similiar things on a smaller scale [go to work,etc. and take care of sick children] but most of them do it because they HAVE to. In the very demographic in which McCain thinks this choice will help -- ie., working class women -- it's going to backfire and maybe even lose some of their husbands too.
McCain's pick of Palin, a woman with very little executive experience, a woman who has approved a 26 billion dollar oil pipeline to Canada instead of the United States shows that McCain's decision was made from an adlolescent place of "I'll show you mentallity" instead of one of wisdom and judgment and will be a disaster because this is not a game but serious, deadly business! Maybe McCain really is senile and confused and incapable of making sound judgments. This woman will be a heartbeat away from being in charge of the highest office in the land. If she was Qualified, that would be different but she is not and that is the bottom line. Not to mention that his argument that Barack has no experience And Is not Ready is out the door, his strongest argument against Barack.
Is this decision Historic or Hysterical or a mockery to our political system? A game changer or a roll of the dice? And should a Presidential candidate play russian roulette with the people's business? It is sort of sad to me personally, that McCain with all the problems we face here, did not have the People's interest at heart but rather a desire to win for winning's sake and did not think of the consequences of his actions and what it would mean for this country if she had to be sworn in as President of the United States!
However, in this evil ploy to pull Hillary women from Barack with no consideration as to whether or not this woman has the ability and experience to lead the United States here and on a world scale shows a very adolescent way of thinking, and a lack of sound judgment and as McCain's first executive decision, a disaster! Through this pick, McCain has just shown that he is NOT READY TO LEAD, and it also proves that he is not really serious about solving America's problems!
I fear that this is not as bad (strategically) a pick as it first seems to many, possible wishful and insufficiently canny, commenters. They can say that Palin has "some real experience as an executive" versus the legislative-only (?) ticket of BO-Joe. It will be hard to criticize her for "lack of experience" due to that and Obama's own vulnerability. (However, many commenters got hip to the strategy of accusing McCain of hypocrisy/double-standard about that issue, instead.) Many women will be attracted to the idea, especially if they were on the fence before.
We can only hope that it looks like the pandering it is to enough voters, and that enough voters (take note Hillary supporters) McCain-Palin would suppress abortion rights strongly given what they say they believe.
Almost transparently, this has Rove-bullet's "fingerprints all over it" - the cynical pandering move, done as a political stunt. McCain clearly shows as a prick (metaphorically at least.)
Go BO-Joe!
Submitted by Cheryl Rofer (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 10:32 AM PDT.
I think I've figured it out!
Can't criticize McCain because he was a POW.
Can't criticize Palin because she's a woman.
Winner!
Yes, this is a cynical pick, but does that really surprise anyone? Cynicism is part of the game.
As for the pick, McCain is just trying to neutralize the historical aspect of Obama's candidacy. The thinking is that there's a sizable amount of right-of-center voters who can't resist the allure of voting for the first black president, and this gives them a chance to vote their conscience and still have their historic moment (first female VP).
Will it work? Probably not.
Victoria and Clarice's comments are so sexist that I can't help thinking that they are men.
So Palin has a young child with Down syndrome, and SHE is supposed to stay at home and take care of him.
What about her husband? Is he chopped liver? From the articles out so far, it looks like both she and her husband have managed to take good care of their son while she has been working as Governor.
Submitted by EvilPoet (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 10:49 AM PDT.
A Vote For McCain/Palin is a vote for more of the same.
Via God-o-Meter "Below is McCain's statement announcing Sarah Palin as running mate. There's a big omission: no mention of her being a social conservative, a darling of the Christian Right. Instead, she's framed as a bipartisan peacemaker. The McCain campaign must figure that everyone who needs to know about her pro-life advocacy and other social conservative activism already does. Their right. Very smart. Very Bushian." Continued here...
I was betting on Hutchinson and hoping for Whitman, but Palin will be interesting to watch. She could be a brilliant choice or one of the lamest ever made.
You have your finger on one of the biggest reasons I think this pick will be an enormous letdown to Republican women. KBH & CTW are two perfect examples of the kind of women McCain could have chosen to really put the screws to Obama. KBH is the perfect choice if you want to go with a red meat, movement conservative, whereas CTW provides a great counterweight to Obama's post-partisan talk. The real point, though, is that -- like them or not -- each of these women is a proven, established leader who would, by her very presence on the ticket, effectively double down on the issue of experience -- Biden or no Biden. Additionally, McCain wouldn't have to waste valuable campaigning time on introductions. A team including either Hutchinson or Whitman would've hit the ground running. This was a lost opportunity for McCain.
"Can't criticize Palin because she's a woman.
Winner!"
-- Cheryl Rofer
Actually, *men* can't criticize a woman without risk. Women criticize other women every day, sometimes to the point men recoil in horror.
There's no shortage of Democratic women (Hillary comes first to mind) to criticize Palin. And their criticism is likely to be much more effective in the eyes of female voters.
My wife, who supported Hillary and now supports Obama, reacted to McCain's pick by commenting that it looks to her like a gimmick, and why Palin over other GOP women.
Submitted by rory @ parentalcation (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 10:53 AM PDT.
"But a heartbeat away from the presidency? Someone with virtually no serious political experience, and no serious experience of any other kind to make up for it?"
Did you say that, or Rush Limbaugh?
