Pay attention to Ed Kilgore's points about why this candidate will be very strong with Republican loyalists and why she will appeal to Independents and wavering Democrats:
To be sure, I'm a poor judge of the visual side of campaign events. But what I saw in Dayton was (1) the "maverick" GOP presidential candidate introducing his "maverick" running mate, although Palin, even more than McCain, is actually a conservative ideologue whose selection thrilled both cultural and economic factions of the Right; (2) a direct appeal by Palin to HRC supporters to consummate Hillary's campaign by shattering the splintered "glass ceiling;" (3) a compelling personal story of a woman who (a) has one son with Down's Syndrome, (b) another who is being deployed to Iraq on September 11; (c) is married to a Native American (at least technically) union worker and athlete; and (d) has bravely defied her party and oil companies in Alaska.
I would add that I have been reading about Sarah Palin for a fairly long time so was not surprised to hear she had been chosen, that she is a very tenacious political fighter, and that she is a good contrast to McCain without taking away.
This is a dangerous political choice for Democrats, in great part because of moronic responses by PB 1.0 that belittle and underestimate her.
I mean, Dubya was too conservative, inexperienced and on the wrong side of issues to win in 2000, and how did that work out?
Anglachel
15 comments:
I am a 50 year Dem and have never wavered in voting for Dems. But for the first time I am going to vote Republican for President and McCain's choice of Palin today cemented that for me. Why? I think McCain just shot a torpedo across the bow of the good ship Republican that said it is McCain the Maverick who is going to run for the presidency. I think McCain and Palin will have a clear agenda about reframing and restructuring the Republican party along with politics in DC. That McCain I respect. I even envy the Republicans because their party needs a huge clean up and reinvention and they actually have a chance to have that happen. The Democrats need the same medicine but with Obama beholden to the Chicago Combine and the current Democratic leadership that has proved it has no courage to be the Democratic Party we are not going to get that. The only way I think Democrats may see their party survive is if this mess they have created gets them the results they deserve---a landslide loss at the polls. Then Hillary will have the opportunity to do what I think McCain will do for the Republicans. So my vote will be Republican for what I hope is the first and only time in my life and McCain's choice today gave me some confidence that I can cast that vote with less risk than I could hope. My dream is that McCain gets a cleaner GOP going and sets the table for HRC to clean the clocks at DNC headquarters. As for Palin, watching her target practice with a very big gun on a U-Tube vid today convinced me that she can indeed hunt moose, play ice hockey, run a PTO meeting, be a former Miss MO on the cover of Vogue (big swing state, MO) take on Ted Stevens, the Alaska Repubs, big oil and win. Then she has a native American husband and he and she were apparently both union members. Now that is not your typical Republican sterotype of a woman. I can not wait to see her go after those HRC lunch bucket, blue collar Dems. She is going to connect because she knows/lives the narrative. And the Obama camp came roaring out of the gate dissing her small town background and lack of experience---brilliant! If this is what we are going to get, I can hardly wait.
This is a dangerous political choice for Democrats, in great part because of moronic responses by PB 1.0 that belittle and underestimate her.
Exactly . They are starting the Hillary/ women bashing all over again....that can only help McCain and Palin.
Because the DC Dems do not fight the GOP, what is the difference between them? I do not see a practical difference between Barry and McCain even as far as policy goes… in that the GOP super rich grab whatever they want and the Dem super rich wring their hands and cave in . So why do I HAVE to vote for Dems ? So they can cave in even faster? If they had at least gotten the S chip or something....they had me going with the water board loving AG replacement. It really looked like they were going to stand up to Bush! ....well that lasted two days. There is nothing to hang even a hope they will grow a spine. So since I see no difference between Dem and GOP, it’s the utterly corrupt DNC that tips it for me. I may or may not vote for McCain, but I will never vote for Obama.
I have to say that after the excitement today , for the first time during all this, I cried for the loss of Hillary ....what the DNC threw away with both hands has broken my heart.
Oh thank God, someone who didn't get suctioned into the Palin haters group.
I will dare to suggest another reason why Palin is a great choice: she is unattackable. Obama's folks have already called her inexperienced ( to great chuckles from all sides). The fact that she isn't running for president, coupled with her stellar approbval rates, and quite a bit of achievements are obvious, and yes she has better qualifications than Obama. But the pattern emmerges, doesn't it? If a woman does it, it's not good enough. Ever. I mean, what are Obama's credentials for foreign policies again? His rock star tour? Palin visited injured soldiers in Germany. Guess which one looks better.
I have seen people complaining that McCain stole Obama's thunder. That he should have waited at least one day to anounce his veep. No offense, but that is stupid. Why would McCain do Obama a favor? He managed to steal the show for himself, and by next week we will probably see some interesting numbers.
Obama attacking Palin on her experience means that experience IS important, therefore McCain can call him on it. How's that for a nice trap?
Anything Biden might try to pull on her will be immediately classified as sexist, and the Republicans, sadly, know how to defend the women of their party better than the Dems.
The more the Dems attack her in sexist ways, the more McCain's case is made. And the attacks have already stated, by people we used to think of as being progressives, and on our side. Even people who decried the sexism aimed at Hillary are now happily smearing Palin.
I agree with Kilgore. Furthermore, McCain already buried the Democratic convention. If Palin is as smart and tenacious as the post states, she will inflict a lot of pain on Obama's campaign.
Way too many Democrats became hysterical when they heard of Palin. Their stress level seems to have been raised to unknown heights. The best solution in such a case is denial. Jeralyn is in denial and I am sad to see that because she is one of smarter and most honest bloggers around.
Despite almost a unanimous agreement among independent listeners who declared that Obama's speech was hardly passable, most of the "Obama is god", and there many such people, insisted that Obama's speech was magnificent and Palin is the end of McCain.
We have changed a lot since Clinton was president and all of it to the worst.
my first reaction -
gov palin has a very attractive look about her, very energetic (sorry, but guys think that way).
my second, she's looks "exotic";
"exotic" just like obama is exotic.
will this work? i don't know.
is it a stupid choice? i don't know that either,
but those who were wowed by obama'a choice of biden, might want to apply their arguments to mccain's choice of palin and reflect.
the bottom line for me:
ALL, and i do mean ALL this dem and repub drama seems extraordinarily trivial this election cycle.
i have never before in my life felt so remote from the democratic party and from the american political system.
do obama or mccain remember that what is really at issue in this election is the survival of the governing compact we created in 1776 and 1787?
i hear no mention of this.
at this moment in history, it's my feeling that we are nation engulfed in a whirlpool of political incompetence generated by both major parties and the corporate media.
Thank you for providing some sanity since bloggers like Jeralyn and Taylor Marsh have completely lost it since backing Obama. p.s. I went over to Taylor's site and understood why she has lost so many visitors. There was blatant sexism towards Palin on her site including Palin's head photoshopped onto a scantily clad model on the front of a fashion magazine. Do they seriously think this is the way to win over Clinton supporters who have seen enough sexism during the primaries? Maybe they have forgiven and forgotten the misogyny but I haven't.
Several weeks ago when everyone was playing the VP guessing game, I commented on a site that McCain would win if he picked a woman who complimented his maverick image. This is a very smart move by McCain. I believe that McCain will win unless he makes a major gaffe between now and November. McCain/Palin is the new hope and change ticket for Clinton and Reagan Democrats who always considered Obama an empty suit.
Jeralyn's support for Obama has clouded her judgment. She is now focusing on Palin's lack of experience. BTD is right for a change. The Left should not even touch that issue because Obama, who isn't VP but is actually running for President, is probably less experienced than Palin since he's spent most of his time in the Senate running for President. Going after Palin on this issue exposes Obama's weaknesses and it also looks sexist since, as BTD pointed out, inexperienced men like Kaine and Crist were considered and no one questioned their lack of experience.
The Left is going about this all wrong but I guess they've been so blind-sided in the last 15 hours that they can't even think straight.
Whenever Obama minions make sexist attacks on Palin, all McCain camp has to do is to remind everybody that that is what they did to their own highly qualified candidate. I looked at Palin and listened to her speech this morning and I like her. Obama can say good bye to Reagan Democrats (she gleefully said that she clung to her guns and her religion!). McCain and her are good placeholders for now and we will bring back Hillary in 2012. But for now the goal is to make it a landslide loss for Obama so that we can root out the bad apples (start with Dean, Brazille, Pelosi) in the Democratic party.
I am also tired of hearing about abortion rights and Roe V Wade from Obama minions. Here was a woman who has devoted her career to women's rights and they humiliate and push her out and now they have the audacity to come back and threaten us with those? The two families (McCain and Palin) may be pro-life but they also have put their compassion and money where their mouths are -- McCain has adopted a Bangladesh Orphan and Palin carried her Downs Syndrome baby to term (she did not think it was a punishment). That may just give me pause to think that they may do the right thing after all (Not to mention all hell will break lose if R v W is messed with). I think jangles (see 1st comment) had it right. Hope these two people can lead and bring back a middle of the road GoP now, as we clean our own house of all those rats.
So much for Obama winning Alaska (snark!)
Ok, thanks for a great post. We cannot win our Dem party back until the misogynistic and corrupt elements are driven out. Sarah Palin can only help with this important task. We must beat Obama to save the Dem party, and now I won't have to cry when I vote for McCain, but can smile as I vote for Sarah Palin. While I disagree strongly with Gov. Palin on many issues, I agree with her on others, and I have to say what a delight to have a strong, dynamic woman who can give a rip-roaring speech without a teleprompter on the national ticket. Should it have been Hillary? Absolutely. Absent that, is Palin change I can believe in for four years until Hillary can return? Yes, she is.
Why should McCain have waited to make the announcement?
Did the Obama campaign wait a full day after Hillary's primary wins to ask WWTSBQ?
Welcome to the big leagues Barack! McCain won't be as nice to you as Hillary was.
"Get over it"
The Repugs have rubbed the Dems nose in their own nasty treatment of Hillary by presenting veep candidate Palin. And it stings.
I do not see this as humiliating Hillary as Michael did in Surface and Depth: "Hillary Clinton seems like a spent, humiliated wreck. Hillary's congratulations to Palin today had a wrenching air of wistfulness."
She showed grown up class and political acumin equal to McCain which just emphasized the childish comments from the BO-bobs.
The Repugs do not trash their women candidates as Dems do, as if we need reminding.
But MSNBC and the others that are in bed with BO are preparing the killing field and several days and nights of the long knives.
I think Hillary will enjoy a bit of schadenfreude at their consternation as I do.
Hi All,
This is really just an echo of what has already been said here. I too have been dismayed by the reaction of the left to Sarah Palin. I am a Clinton Democrat (now registered Independent) who spent considerable time reading and thinking about the candidates. I am very impressed by Sarah Palin--she has achieved a great deal as a reformer and advocate for energy independence. I do not perceive Palin to be a threat to my or my daughter's reproductive rights--in fact, it is Obama who has gutted the progressive agenda (campaign finance reform, FISA, mental health distress not being a legitimate reason for an abortion) that is the bigger threat.
Thanks for giving me a place for rational discourse.
K
I too was interested in Palin the first time her name came up. I thought at the time she would be a very interesting pick for McCain. It kills me, but Republicans treat their women better and have been far more respectful of Hillary. I know most of this was for strategic reasons but as Hillary fought on you could see some true respect happening on the right. They love her fight.
You are so correct in your criticism of the immediate response form the left. Chris Matthews, who understands the ramifications,looked like somebody had kicked him in the stomach yesterday and only wanted to talk to men about it,cut off Andrea Mitchell when she was trying to tell him this was big.Obama's adoring press and the bloggers are going to blow this. I see no sign that they will not. Before it is over I will probably be a Palin supporter dispite the fact I disagree with her on many things.
I have to say I understand and sympathize with the element of schadenfreude here, especially given the shitty treatment of HRC, but I really can't understand how anyone who thinks of himself or herself as a liberal or progressive could support McCain/Palin. The VP choice isn't maverick-y. She's rabidly anti-choice and shows no signs of any departures from the comfort the rich, afflict the poor approach that the rest of her party loves, nor has she shown (given her limited experience with it) any dissent from the mindlessly aggressive foreign policy of the last 8 years. It's an interesting change of pace as a pick from a boring white guy, obviously, but on the merits she's a perfectly orthodox (meaning borderline wacko) conservative. There are two reasons to vore for McCain/Palin, but only two: you're ideologically conservative or you're revenging yourself on the leadership of the Democratic Party (and the rest of us get to be collateral damage for that). If anyone goes that way, go with God, but be clear about what you're doing and why.
Scott:
If the DNC are rewarded with votes for what they did this year, that is a mandate for them to continue to do it. That is a long term damage that is, in my opinion and not only, significantly greater than the short term damage of having 4 years of McCain/Palin.
Sometimes, the mesage sent is what matters: a lot of people agree that this is such a time.
I want you to ask yourself what happens with an America where the choices are Republican and Republican lyte.
The more I see so-called liberals using sexist slurs against Palin, the more I am convinced that the pro-woman vote this season is for McCain/Palin.
It's like deja-vu (sp?). In December, I honestly and truly was no Hillary supporter. But as the sexist media turned against her and used horribly misogynistic language against her, I couldn't help but defend her and, in doing so, fall in lover with her.
It's like the fake liberals never learn!!!! They're doing it again with Palin!
Go ahead you freakin' moronic Obama faux-gressives. Make the same mistake yet again.
My new mantra: "I don't give a shit what you SAY about women's issues, I only care what you DO."
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