When John McCain announced that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was his choice to be the Vice Presidential candidate, I thought I had a good idea of what political motives and thinking were behind the pick. Making the announcement when he did, shocking the political community by picking someone not on any one's veep radar, picking someone a generation younger than him, and, most shockingly of all, picking a woman for the post, seemed to be the quick read of McCain's decision.
I smugly told everyone I knew who followed politics that McCain's pick was a flailing attempt to get some press, and that at best McCain would get an immediate bump in the polls because of the fanfare about Palin, but in the long run the strategy would not sustain him through to the election. Oh, how smart I felt telling all my analysis, and how relaxed I felt in that McCain was no longer a threat.
Unfortunately, my self assuredness had blinded me from the truth of the matter: John McCain was a genius. His choice of Governor Palin and his campaign's handling of it has been masterful.
As I stated above, there are some obvious pluses that Palin brings to the ticket. Her young age does well to help draw in younger voters who were turned off by McCain's years. Being a woman, there was some hope that she may be able to sway disaffected Clinton supporters who still hoped to see a woman in an executive position within the government. Plus, she was able to play both the "maverick" card, showing she is beholden to no party (which, somehow, McCain is still able convince voters of despite his record), and say that she has the traditional social values of the right, an area where McCain is constantly questioned.
What I did not see was Palin's invulnerability to criticism. For all of her "traditional values", it is considered an outrage whenever anyone tries to call her out on those issues. Those that have are lambasted for being "sexist" and for bringing up personal family issues, something considered very undignified. They are told to stick to the issues, not go for cheap shots.
But what would be considered a cheap shot in most cases, and this generalist line of thinking is what is saving her from criticism, should be fair game for Palin. On the face of it, this sounds like an enormously unfair double standard for Palin, but she brings it on herself.
During her convention speech, Palin mocked the Democrats for having no values. That, unlike the socialist, liberal politicians on the other side, she was someone who believed in the "traditional family values" one is brought up with in a small town. As she was saying this, she was actively participating in the huge endeavor that is a presidential election, with the obvious ultimate goal of becoming Vice President, while raising a five month old child who has special needs. Democrats and other political commentators have been blasted for pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of this. How can one attack an opponent for having no family values, when the attacker has abandoned their newborn in the quest for power?
What genius it is to come up with this strategy. Palin is free to make all of the value judgments on her opponents with no fear of retribution. Palin doesn't even have to defend herself if someone goes after her on this. There is a long line of supporters and strategists ready to pounce if this argument is made, with the ready made comebacks that 1) it is not appropriate to question how one raises their family and, more bitingly, that 2) she wouldn't be questioned for this if she was a man and, therefore, it is a sexist accusation. It takes real genius to call former Hillary supporters sexist and have it stick.
The other off limits topic regarding Palin is her daughter's pregnancy. Bristol, Palin's daughter, as most who follow politics know, is only 17 and still in high school. The family announced that Bristol was going to keep the baby and marry the father. After the announcement, it was to be understood that any further questioning of the issue would be out of bounds.
As it was with the previous argument, I would generally agree that that topic should be out of bounds for political attacks. However, in this instance, it is a viable line of questioning. Sarah Palin, being the social conservative that she is, is for abstinence only sex education. She brought up the issue in both her mayoral and gubernatorial campaigns, stating clearly that she would do all she could to ensure abstinence only sex education was what Alaskan students were taught. Do I even need to tell you where I'm going with this?
Sarah Palin espouses a belief in abstinence only sex education, and, unlike the rest of us, has the power to do something about it. She is preventing the students of Alaska from receiving any kind of comprehensive sex education because she believes abstinence only is what works best, and the epitome of how flawed it is is within her own home.
Now, I want to make it clear is that this is not a criticism of Bristol Palin. Bristol is, in my opinion, the victim of this flawed policy that is empowered by her mother. Her, and thousands of other hormone driven Alaskan teens, are being denied information that could help them avoid some life long consequences by the mother of a pregnant teen who was taught abstinence only.
Again, Sarah Palin is allowed to espouse her belief and, more importantly, enforce her belief on the lives of thousands within her state, but no one is allowed to use the ready made argument against abstinence only sitting next to her. In fact, Palin is being painted as some sort of hero for dealing with problems that "real people" deal with. To those who try to paint her in this light I ask this...
ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GOD DAMNED MINDS?!! She is not a hero, she helping to create more teen pregnancy and the spread of STDs.
What does it take to get people to see that abstinence only education doesn't work? If seeing the pregnant teenager daughter of the champion of abstinence only education doesn't convince you, then you, my friend, probably can't read this sentence.
So, there is the genius of McCain. Picking a bulletproof running mate who can say what she wants and nobody can touch her. Unless its about the "Bridge to Nowhere", "Troopergate", the windfall oil taxes in Alaska, or the pork Alaska gets from federal tax dollars (Alaska ranks no.1 in federal spending per resident). But I'm sure those points will be deemed, like the others, as unfair and, in some twisted way, sexist.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
4 points
Go ahead, call me Mr. Trendy. I too have joined the ranks. Mostly because I know so many people out there are dying to catch a whiff of my wisdom. Take a deep breath. Smells pretty good, right? And I haven't even written anything yet. I just figured my aura will pass through the internet, and therefore make the world a better place by creating easier access for all to gain from my being. I know, I'm too kind.
I also thought it may be possible that I might become a little annoying when I rant on and on about who in politics I am currently pissed off at to the same people that I should give their ears a break. However, it is not good to store up your anger (or highly intelligent, well reasoned arguments), and so a blog was born.
My timing for starting this blog is a little behind the ball. We are now in the final push toward the election, having gone through all the nervous excitement that is the conventions (insert rim shot). But it is in my blood to be late for things, so why should my blog be any different. (What, you think you're better than me Blog? You're nothing without me, punk!)
Four years ago, the country had the opportunity to witness the national embarrassment that was the Democratic Party, in all of its pathetic grandeur, show how sad they truly were. For three years after 9/11, the Democrats had completely ceded their beliefs and values to a man who had shown the world that just because you don't win, doesn't mean you have to lose. Members of the Democratic party went along with any decision made by the "decider", deathly afraid of appearing unpatriotic for not blindly following a man who drove every company he was given by his family into the ground. (Just a quick thought: it's said that a man comfortable in his sexuality doesn't worry about how he appears to others. I wonder if there is a saying about patriotism that follows that same line of reasoning.)
It chose it's candidate not because of their ability to inspire, nor by their great understanding of the issues of the day, but by choosing the one who was believed to be the most "electable". Therefore, they put forth John Kerry for nomination, who barely beat out Al Sharpton (he was oh so close). Kerry brought excitement to the Democratic party, in the same way that C-Span brings excitement to cable. Thus, the "electable" Mr. Kerry became the unelected presidential nominee. Once again, the democrats showed that when push comes to shove, they will cry and run home to mommy that Mr. Rove was mean to them.
Now, it's 2008. The country is barely surviving the horror that is the Bush Administration. And, luckily for the Democrats, the people of the country are finally coming to realize how poor of a Commander in Chief the country put into office eight years ago. The Democrats came into this election feeling rejuvenated. The fear of being labeled unpatriotic for disagreeing with the president is no longer a barrier for them. They were ready to take control.
To cap things off for the Democrats, the Republicans picked as their nominee someone they don't even like. McCain walked into a nomination by defeating a Mormon (come on, you didn't really think the Republicans would nominate a Mormon), and an Evangelical bassist who wanted to govern from within the rectory of his church. Republicans were left with McCain as their only choice.
With having the duel task of trying to prove to the die-hard right wingers that he was one of them and at the same time distance himself from a man whose policies he has followed in lock-step, the Democrats seemed poised to get a blow-out. Sure, there were some rough times in the primary, and maybe some wounds are slow to heal, but surely even a novice with the ability to inspire would be enough against a 72 year old man with no base behind him.
Then...came Sarah. There wasn't a columnist or political insider who wasn't surprised by the pick. A first term governor who has been on the job for a total of 20 months, a person whose only other government experience was being mayor of a town of 9,000 after serving on the town's council, a self described "hockey mom" who, we were told, had fought against the Republican incumbents within her state to end ethical violations. This was McCain's pick.
At first, everything about the pick looked like a political ploy. The announcement came on the heals of the Democratic convention, effectively shutting down any momentum coming out of the convention. By picking a woman, McCain could claim that his election would be as historic as an Obama election. And by making such a unexpected pick, the news cycle would be his while the press examined this unknown.
Oh, and she is also kinda hot.
But surely once the dust settled and everyone got to know who Sarah Palin is and what she stands for, the Democrats would be right back...on...wait a minute.
HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DOWN 4 POINTS?!!! You can't beat a man who admittedly has virtually no economic background at time when people are begging for financial help from the government, and running mate who, within the short amount she has been governor, already has ethics violation against her.
This is going to be a stressful 2 months. For me, and everyone around me.
I also thought it may be possible that I might become a little annoying when I rant on and on about who in politics I am currently pissed off at to the same people that I should give their ears a break. However, it is not good to store up your anger (or highly intelligent, well reasoned arguments), and so a blog was born.
My timing for starting this blog is a little behind the ball. We are now in the final push toward the election, having gone through all the nervous excitement that is the conventions (insert rim shot). But it is in my blood to be late for things, so why should my blog be any different. (What, you think you're better than me Blog? You're nothing without me, punk!)
Four years ago, the country had the opportunity to witness the national embarrassment that was the Democratic Party, in all of its pathetic grandeur, show how sad they truly were. For three years after 9/11, the Democrats had completely ceded their beliefs and values to a man who had shown the world that just because you don't win, doesn't mean you have to lose. Members of the Democratic party went along with any decision made by the "decider", deathly afraid of appearing unpatriotic for not blindly following a man who drove every company he was given by his family into the ground. (Just a quick thought: it's said that a man comfortable in his sexuality doesn't worry about how he appears to others. I wonder if there is a saying about patriotism that follows that same line of reasoning.)
It chose it's candidate not because of their ability to inspire, nor by their great understanding of the issues of the day, but by choosing the one who was believed to be the most "electable". Therefore, they put forth John Kerry for nomination, who barely beat out Al Sharpton (he was oh so close). Kerry brought excitement to the Democratic party, in the same way that C-Span brings excitement to cable. Thus, the "electable" Mr. Kerry became the unelected presidential nominee. Once again, the democrats showed that when push comes to shove, they will cry and run home to mommy that Mr. Rove was mean to them.
Now, it's 2008. The country is barely surviving the horror that is the Bush Administration. And, luckily for the Democrats, the people of the country are finally coming to realize how poor of a Commander in Chief the country put into office eight years ago. The Democrats came into this election feeling rejuvenated. The fear of being labeled unpatriotic for disagreeing with the president is no longer a barrier for them. They were ready to take control.
To cap things off for the Democrats, the Republicans picked as their nominee someone they don't even like. McCain walked into a nomination by defeating a Mormon (come on, you didn't really think the Republicans would nominate a Mormon), and an Evangelical bassist who wanted to govern from within the rectory of his church. Republicans were left with McCain as their only choice.
With having the duel task of trying to prove to the die-hard right wingers that he was one of them and at the same time distance himself from a man whose policies he has followed in lock-step, the Democrats seemed poised to get a blow-out. Sure, there were some rough times in the primary, and maybe some wounds are slow to heal, but surely even a novice with the ability to inspire would be enough against a 72 year old man with no base behind him.
Then...came Sarah. There wasn't a columnist or political insider who wasn't surprised by the pick. A first term governor who has been on the job for a total of 20 months, a person whose only other government experience was being mayor of a town of 9,000 after serving on the town's council, a self described "hockey mom" who, we were told, had fought against the Republican incumbents within her state to end ethical violations. This was McCain's pick.
At first, everything about the pick looked like a political ploy. The announcement came on the heals of the Democratic convention, effectively shutting down any momentum coming out of the convention. By picking a woman, McCain could claim that his election would be as historic as an Obama election. And by making such a unexpected pick, the news cycle would be his while the press examined this unknown.
Oh, and she is also kinda hot.
But surely once the dust settled and everyone got to know who Sarah Palin is and what she stands for, the Democrats would be right back...on...wait a minute.
HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DOWN 4 POINTS?!!! You can't beat a man who admittedly has virtually no economic background at time when people are begging for financial help from the government, and running mate who, within the short amount she has been governor, already has ethics violation against her.
This is going to be a stressful 2 months. For me, and everyone around me.
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