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08/31/08
The Palin Question
@ 11:50:39 am Friday John McCain made big news by announcing that his running mate will be Sarah Palin.
The obvious question on everybody's mind is: Will a woman on the ticket help McCain? I don't think so. In fact, I expect a backlash.
The thing most commentators seized upon is Palin's inexperience. After serving as mayor of a town of 5,000 people she has served for 2 years as the governor of the 4th least populous state in the union. After all his talk about how inexperienced Barack Obama is, John McCain is claiming that Palin, with even less experience is ready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency (a 72-year-old cancer-surviving heartbeat at that).
Even more significantly, John McCain has been building his campaign around the idea that (unlike Obama, presumably) he is a candidate of substance, who always does what is best for his country and not necessarily what is popular or likely to get him elected. Remember that his big line is, "I would rather lose a campaign than lose a war." Yet he very transparently selects a female Vice Presidential candidate in an attempt to win over the supposed masses of disillusioned Hillary Clinton supporters.
Am I reducing the issue? Not at all. I challenge anybody to come up with one quality about Palin, aside from her gender and her age, that would make her a better Vice Presidential than any other Republican in the country.
So much for McCain putting substance and policy ahead of popularity. But will his gambit succeed in winning over Hillary Clinton supporters? I don't think so. Sure, there will always be a few who will change over just because she's a woman (and you can bet FOX News will find them and interview them), but as a whole I believe people supported Hillary Clinton partly because she's a woman, but also because she speaks to the issues that they care about: health care, reproductive rights, equal pay for equal work, etc. Hillary supporters aren't going to suddenly switch over to a pro-life, pro-drilling, pro-business candidate just because she also happens to own a pair of ovaries.
In fact, I expect some voters will be insulted by the suggestion that a person's sex is all that matters to them. I'm reminded of Barack Obama's senate race in 2004 when the Republican party drafted Alan Keyes to run against him. It only showed how out of touch the Republicans are that they thought people would vote for another man who also happens to be black, but speaks of none of the issues that the targeted voting block care about.
I don't expect that McCain's selection of Palin will be quite as disastrous as Keyes' Illinois Senate campaign. In fact, I think any direct effect she has on the overall election will be negligible. But I do think the choice compromises McCain's overall message so far, and can only hurt him.
7 comments
And she is not just talk either. While 91% of downs syndrome babies in this nation are aborted by their parents, seen as little more than an inconvenience, she chose to bring carry her daughter to term.
She is an unexpected choice, but that doesn't mean she is unqualified. In fact, she is the only person of all 4 candidates running on major tickets to have any experience running a government on an executive level.
Is McCain pandering? Sure. But MANY conservatives are absolutely thrilled with the choice of Sarah Palin.
I'm just saying I don't think that the ticket will be able to draw in the Clinton supporters McCain's obviously trying to appeal to.
But on the whole, I do agree that though Palin is Hillary gynecological equal, they share little politically. I would truly be shocked if people went for McCain because he now has a vagina on his ticket.
If Karl Rove is right though, it is better for a Republican candidate to pander to the conservative base in order to win elections, so beyond the Hillary factory, I think this could be a GREAT move for McCain.
I agree with Melanie on the point of Palin is the only person of all 4 candidates running on major tickets to have any experience running a government on an executive level. The most important quality that Palin has is that she is a solid born again Christian with high morals. She is against the killing of innocents in the womb. Why would I want someone who is for the killing of innocents to run my country? If they have a lack of moral judgment where the most innocent and helpless are concerend how can I trust them with anything else important. Palin has the best advisor... an advisor that she listens to and answers to and who gives her wisdom on the most improtant things...God...the ruler of heaven and earth. I am not saying Palin is perfect because she is human and makes mistakes like all of us, but she is definatly going to try her best to do what Christ would have her do as opposed to Obama. She beats out most other Vice Presidental canidates because of her reliance on God. Over and over in the bible the most unlikely people were the ones God chose to rule because of their love and devotion to Him.
I'm sorry, really, just so tired of that argument.
My point is that McCain picked her over any other contenders specifically because she is a woman, and he is trying to pander to disappointed Hillary supporters.
I asked anyone to name one quality aside from her gender that makes her better than other potential VP candidates. Deborah, you replied:
"The most important quality that Palin has is that she is a solid born again Christian with high morals."
Are you saying McCain could not have found another Republican in the entire country with the same religious views who has more than two years of gubernatorial experience?
Bottom line: McCain did not pick Palin because she is a great leader or because he likes her policies. He picked her because she's a young woman.
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