What The Palin Pick Says About John McCain and the GOP
| Fri Aug. 29, 2008 9:57 AM PDT
John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate this morning was a bit of a shocker. After all, the vast majority of Americans have never heard of her. But that could be an advantage for the Republicans: suddenly, their convention next week isn't about John McCain or George W. Bush. It's about introducing Sarah Palin to America. That could be the best distraction imaginable from issues like Katrina, Iraq, and the economy.
On balance, though, Palin could be bad news for the Republicans. Unconventional running-mate choices (and a first term governor who until recently was the mayor of a town of about 9,000 people is certainly an unconventional pick) signal desperation. Confident candidates make safe picks. Candidates who are trailing and need to make big moves make unconventional ones. McCain is taking a big risk by picking Palin because he has to.
The selection of Palin smacks of tokenism. Every four years, the Republican party trots out its few non-white, non-male leaders for the Republican National Convention. Many get prime speaking spots. Apparently Sarah Palin gets the Vice-Presidential nomination. The pick is clearly partly directed at disaffected Hillary voters with the idea that simply putting a woman on the ticket will win their votes. This is obviously wrong, as Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro will tell you. But the GOP and their mouthpieces don't get it: on Fox this morning, an anchor said: "It looks like the glass ceiling hasn't been broken by Hillary Clinton, but by Senator McCain." There is just so much wrong with that sentence, but for starters: it's obvious that this pick is more about John McCain than Sarah Palin. It's not about women succeeding on their own; it's about them being given something by a man. Frankly, the comparison to Hillary Clinton is just insulting.
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This pick could be bad for McCain in other ways, too. Consider the parallels between Palin and another youngish governor from a deep red state: George W. Bush. Like Bush in 2000, Palin is though of as a reformist conservative. But her actual positions and policies are hard-right. The trick the GOP has been pulling for years, and is trying again here, is to support the policies and priorities of the far right while pretending to be "maverick" or "independent". There's nothing about Palin's politics that should appeal to Hillary Clinton supporters. Despite what you'll hear about this pick confirming McCain's "maverick" status, there are few VP nominees that would make conservatives happier than Sarah Palin does. She's a favorite of the Club for Growth, virulently anti-abortion, disdainful of environmental concerns, and thinks "Intelligent Design" should be taught in schools. But despite her actual politics being virtually identical to Bush's, Palin, like McCain, projects an image of independent-mindedness.
By far the most troubling part of this pick, however, is how it fits in with the central theme of the past eight years: the Rovian elevation of short-term political considerations over the actual governing of the country. More than anything, Palin is the perfect gimmick for today's news cycle. The pick is great symbolism—the Republicans picked a woman and the Democrats didn't! The media will eat it up: a "maverick" picking a "maverick". And it knocks Barack Obama and the Democrats off the television and maybe limits the Dems' convention bounce. There will be a lot of talk of change from the McCain campaign after this. But the McCain-Palin ticket raises a big question. Was it Bush and Cheney that made the Bush administration such a failure? Or was it Republican ideas and policies that were the problem? If the Obama campaign can convince the American people that our country is in a tough spot due to Republican policies, not just Republican politicians, then they'll probably win. But if McCain and Palin can convince Americans that the business model is sound and the GOP just needs a change in CEO, than, well, you can probably say hello to your next Vice President.
Photo from flickr user Alaskan Dude used under a Creative Commons license.
Comments
Submitted by Steven Rinehart (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 11:47 AM PDT.
MCCAIN IS SENILE!!! Worst pick ever!!! Why didn't he pick someone competent!!
As mayor and governor, she compares favorably with the gaggle of lawyers/ lobbyists and Congressmen and women that line up every four years to get a chance at presiding over Cesspool,DC. Let's face it, the 1st and 3rd most liberal voting records haven't ever and aren't starting to work across party lines-- they just took their own Party on a sharp turn to the Left. BHO came out of the most one party presincts in the World-- South Chicago.
Thank god she is not a senator, and she is not a lawyer.
She represents a damn site more 'change' in 'business as usual' in DC than one Senator's pick of another Senator who's been in Washington even longer than McCain.
Consider:
Palin gained much of her prominence as a whistle-blower. After she was appointed by Governor Murkowski to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, she started bucking the Republican Party leadership over ethics lapses. She blew the whistle on state GOP Chairman Randy Ruedrich when he was a fellow oil and gas commissioner. In 2003, he was forced to resign his regulatory post and pay a record $12,000 fine. She and a Democratic state lawmaker filed an ethics complaint against the state attorney general, Gregg Renkes, who resigned under fire.
www.csmonitor.com/2006/1206/p02s01-uspo.html
That's a HUGE Plus for an American electorate desperate to get rid of the 'business as usual' crowd!
From what I've been able to see of her so far, she's ALMOST enough to make me vote McCain/Palin, but I'm almost certainly going third party again this year, because McCain still tops the ticket, and he's still as much of a party hack as Obama/Biden.
I, as a woman, am thrilled at this HISTORIC milestone. The Republican party lists Condi Rice and Colin Powell as prominent, HISTORIC appointments. Also in consideration, as Palin has been for over a year, were Bobby Jindal, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Carly Fiorina, and Meg Whitman. Wow, I guess maybe the Republicans are the ones who are the more forward-thinking, after all.
FlaLady:
This is exactly the problem with this situation. Standing in a room with a man, an African American, a woman, a Muslim, a homosexual and a robot from the future sent to destroy us doesn't make all of them forward-thinking. Forward-thinking makes someone forward-thinking, not putting your arm around some tokens (you're one of the good ones!).
Voting gender and race instead of policy is pretty sad.
Its very sad that there are women like FlaLady who obviously doesnt realize when they have basically just been-thrown a bone. She has no experience, is anti-abortion and your comparing her to Hillary Clinton? Haha You republicans are blind, must be the bright light of God in your eyes.
FlaLady,
There is nothing forward thinking about McCain's gimmicky VP selection. He's showing complete disregard for our country by choosing a token who 'might' help him win (not to mention a pretty face for the media to pounce on)--not someone who is qualified for the office. It's quite the insult. I'm hopeful Americans will respond by electing Barack Obama our next president.
This pick is a joke. McCain must think that at 71 or 72, he's going to live forever.
She was a major 2 years ago in a town with 5000 people.
I voted for Romney at the primary here in Florida and I'm insulted he didn't pick him instead.
Submitted by Dave George (not verified) on Fri Aug. 29, 2008 10:12 PM PDT.
Learn how to spell and you'll go far. That "scratching" sound you hear emanates from the heads of millions of sentient and completely dumbfounded voters who will never understand McCain's judgment with respect to this critical choice...so, what's next to help our economy and position in the world, Senator McCain? Bake sales?
I think he is desperate.
How many people-- especially women-- are going to vote for a woman who is anti-choice and a friend of big oil? AND she doesn't give a rats ass about polar bears-- losing animal lover's votes.
Really, the talk of McCain being "not all there" is really reinforced by this choice.
Plus, if I were one of the Republicans who'd had some experience and was on the "short list," I'd be plain insulted.
I don't THINK the American people are this stupid, but you never know.
Sure, Palin has more executive experience than Obama and Biden, being the governor of Alaska.
But that also mean that Palin has more executive experience than the 72 year old that picked her.
And there lies the big difference between "lack of experience" at the top or bottom of the ticket.
Ther was a 19 month, hard fought Democratic primary season, where, although the vote was split, at least 18 million voted for Obama to lead the ticket. Palin was the choice, maybe not of one man, but of a very small clique.
The Republican's are already embarrased over Mcain. I can't believe that American's are so dumb as to accept that this Republican ticket is the best that they can do. Although i never overestimate the idiocracy of the evangelicals who Mcain ran to, then ran from, and is now running to again. Mcain says that "Obama would lose a war to win the presidency" but Mcain is giving up his reputation, and his "country first" idealism, to win. Its sad.
And its highly amusing watching people who support the Mcain ticket, people who are smart, and have excellent reputations, forcing thmeselves to talk up this pick. I truly believe that they are either embarrasing themselves, or trying to dupe the American people.
Sorry, i forgot to ask a particular question.....
Can anyone tell me why a woman firing an automatic weapon is a visual symbol of good for the republican party, or conservatives?
Is it only this Canadian that finds that wierd? The media, specifically CNN, seems to be running pictures that the republican party gave them. Palin with a gun. Palin with people in army fatigues. A Palin close up with perfect white teeth and her mouth open.
She was a one term mayor of a town with three stop lights, and before that a city councilor. Really, do southern Americans, the republican's base, buy this as Mcain's best judgement as to who could run the country if he we're to have to go to the hospital for a week? or worse.
Actually, I think the appointments of Janet Reno and Madeline Albright by CLINTON shattered some glass ceilings first.
If you want to call the Republicans attempting to give the appearance of letting go of some of their 18th Century values and joining the rest of in the 21st "forward thinking" thats wonderful. However most Democrats call it common sense.
Flalady,
Do not assume that blacks are voting for Obama because of race. Many of them have never supported another black candidate running for president because they were not qualified. I am glad Barack Obama is not DC business as usual. (Black people who think he is going to do things for them once he gets in office have got another thing coming. I speculate that a certain group of people are going to start comparing him to Clarence Thomas once they don't get their way.)
On the flip side, the Republican party may have chosen Palin for the sinking ship because she is a whistle-blower and they want to get her out of the way. What better way to dispose of her political career than place John McCain's loss squarely on her shoulders and send her back to the world of being a soccer mom? Art of War, anyone?
You know, if you want to vote Dem then vote Dem.. if you want to vote Rep than vote Rep... at the end of the day it's US that have to make Washington do the things they promised. I want to see some hard evidence that these candidates have a plan of action... we cannot afford 4 years of wasted time just getting a plan together. By the people for the people... Dem or Rep we must unite.
The closer someone is looking into this Republican VP-pick
background,the more it becomes
evident that this person is as
"unqualified as they come " !
>If it seems like Sarah Palin day, that's because the McCain campaign decided to do the bulk of its news dumping during the holiday. On top of her husband's D.U.I., her daughter's teen pregnancy and her own state trooper issues, we now know about this bizarre nugget: Sarah Palin and her husband, according to the group's chair, were once members of the Alaskan Independence Party, a political party that seeks a vote on Alaska's secession from the union >>Barrack Obama President<
comes November4.with Biden VP!
Sara Palin will take the stage tomorrow night. All you liberals better get a good nights rest because its the last one your gonna have for a long time. America and the world are gonna love her!
Only one thing can defeat Obama and thats your momma. Eat that liberal media
"More than anything, Palin is the perfect gimmick for today's news cycle. " And it is unfortunate that the media continue to "play to the hype", and not continue to cover the real issues that really matter to the American people! You know: the economy, stagflation, housing meltdown, falling wages, etc.! Maybe the media should refocus both their own and the public's attention to what really matters! If I want "personality" I'd go see a movie, these people are not coming to visit my house - they are attempting to get the job of PRESIDENT OF THE USA-so it doesn't really matter what his/her personality is!
Submitted by partner (not verified) on Fri Sep. 26, 2008 5:04 PM PDT.
The far left Feminists will be left out in the cold and exposed for what they are.... Hateful small minded party hacks.
