McCain*Palin 2008
August 30, 2008
The selection of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as McCain’s vice president is a masterful move that serves nothing less than a game-changer. In the weeks running up to this decision, Conservatives like myself have worried about McCain’s choice. “Lieberman” just had me digging my face in my hands in frustration. When Palin’s existence and lineup of achievements to date came to my attention, I wanted her to be the VP pick.
BHO’s campaign has made one mistake after another leading to the convention in his treatment of Hillary, of his politics-as-usual speech on the last night of the convention, and his bold attempt to suppress free political speech regarding Bill Ayers. McCain has turned identity politics on its head. My first worry was that the Palin pick was a blatant attempt to pander to disenfranchised HRC supporters. Many of the far-left women won’t like Palin anyway: a mother of five, family woman who has managed to balance career and family and still stay lovely and true to her principles. As a woman she is a complete non-victim, her lack of victimhood is anathema to gender-baiters anyway.
McCain’s campaign was suffering from an extreme lack of charisma: he’s older, his wife isn’t a hardcore firebrand, and its aim was mostly to ridicule his opponent. BHO has charm, charisma, and the ability to induce fervor in his supporters. Palin provides what is missing. Hers is the parallel antithesis to BHO’s family: true blue-collar origins, a son in active duty, her other younger children who show just as much enthusiasm for her on stage as BHO’s children do, executive achievement. In the ultimate feint-and-strike move, McCain just got an Obama-level figure of his own.
I am pleased at the Conservative reaction to Palin’s selection. The role of a VP has mutated recently into that of co-president (which I think started with Bush II and Cheney). If BHO chose Biden for his foreign policy role, then Palin will serve as McCain’s domestic issues partner. Any attacks on her inexperience will only underline BHO’s own. She is the second in the ticket; he’s running for President. And already, the Obama campaign’s misogyny, and the general misogyny of his supporters, has reared its ugly head.
Until yesterday I was a McCain supporter because I did not want Obama for President. I think now I have reason to actually support McCain for President. This has just become the most exciting and interesting election I have stood to see, and it will only get better.
I was angry yesterday, and then woke up in the middle of the night even angrier.
Do men really think that women are so stupid that they just want a woman in office, rather than a qualified woman in office?
Like I wrote in the post: My first worry was that the Palin pick was a blatant attempt to pander to disenfranchised HRC supporters.
Except the more I look at Palin the less I see the pander to HRC supporters as it is a means to mobilize the conservative base. Some women might think that the most important issues to them are the freedom to abort on demand, or to stay single and earn an independent lifestyle on the same job with the same pay as a man could on his own. I really don’t think that the Palin decision is there to court these folks. There’s no pleasing that type.
I saw your post on your blog. If you don’t think that Sarah Palin hasn’t accomplished enough to be qualified to be VP, then that is your opinion. The more I look at her accomplishments as Executive of Alaska the more I am confident in her.
And I would like to reiterate here: Palin’s inexperience is the Ultimate Trap against Obama supporters. In trying to emphasize hers, they achieve nothing but to underline BHO’s own.
THE BALLAD OF SARAH PALIN
(Sung to the tune of Davy Crockett)
Born in the northern part of Idaho,
Destined for fame, she just didn’t know.
Learned to hunt and fish, even in the snow,
Never was one to just go with the flow
Sarah, Sarah Palin,
lady from “The Last Frontier.â€
Moved to the North before she was one,
Landed in the “Land of the Midnight Sun.â€
Beautiful and strong, she likes to have fun,
She always works hard, but her work is never done.
Sarah, Sarah Palin,
lady from “The Last Frontier.â€
With her five kids and a man named Todd,
They carved out a life eatin’ moose and cod.
Alaska had some waste and a lot of fraud,
So she went to work and laid down her fishin’ rod.
Sarah, Sarah Palin,
lady from “The Last Frontier.â€
http://palinforamerica.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nOF4cq6qNc
To: letters@theatlantic.com
Cc: kcristol@theatlantic.com; Andrew Sullivan ; andrew@theatlantic.com
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 1:52:02 PM
Subject: “experience” and McCain/Palin
To: Editor of The Atlantic, Ross Douthat and Andrew Sullivan
This is to respond to comments by Ross Douthat and Andrew Sullivan at theAtlantic.com regarding “experience” in the 2008 Presidential race
See, e.g., here:
http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/mccains_judgment.php
It is odd to me to see Mr. Sullivan, and many other Obama supporters, comment on “experience” in this race – as though this is a concept that just occurred to them.
Barack Obama has zero executive experience. Joe Biden has zero executive experience.
John McCain has military command experience. Sarah Palin has executive experience as Governor of the largest state in the Union – and as Mayor of the fastest-growing town in Alaska.
In my view, on the experience issue, McCain and Palin win.
In any event, the “foreign policy experience” argument Mr. Sullivan is making does not appear to be serious. What was the “foreign policy experience” of Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher? Or, if you prefer, what was the “foreign policy experience” of Bill Clinton or Tony Blair?
Indeed, what was the “foreign policy experience” of Obama’s almost-VP-pick, Governor Kaine of Virginia? Did Governor Kaine’s lack of “foreign policy experience” concern Mr. Sullivan? If not, perhaps Mr. Sullivan is not really concerned with experience. If he were, one would expect him to be making similar arguments about Obama.
Here’s another reason why the “foreign policy experience” argument makes little sense. Wouldn’t you rather have someone in the Presidency with clear leadership skills as an American chief executive (like Governor Palin) – or military command experience (like McCain) – not someone who sat on some foreign affairs committee in Congress (like Biden)?
Further, it’s unclear what “foreign policy experience” Obama has. He sat on a committee during his partial term as a U.S. Senator? That’s not decision-making under pressure – that’s not “foreign policy experience” to be President. That’s sitting in a room and listening. I can listen to speeches by others on foreign policy issues, and so can you – and we both have, I’m sure. Does this give us “foreign policy experience” to be President?
Also – Palin’s approval ratings in Alaska have consistently been over 80%. She’s a leader. So is McCain. Obama and Biden are legislators – they’ve never held an executive or command position in their lives.
And, certainly, if a discussion of “experience” is underway, all “experience,” good and bad, should be fairly presented. For example:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/902213,CST-NWS-ayers18.article
http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/04/26/why-is-obama-hiding-the-truth-about-william-ayers-follow-the-money/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/frenzy/biden.htm
To the extent that Obama arguably has any executive or administrative experience, it resulted in the loss of $110 million in grant money at The Annenberg Challange – and a long-term relationship with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Also, with regard to administrative experience, Obama’s main decision in the Presidential campaign resulted in him picking a serial plagiarizer as his running mate. Simply put, to the extent Obama has any administrative or executive experience at all, it’s all been negative and indicative of poor judgment.
Lastly, I would point out that Governor Palin’s experience as Governor of he largest State in the Union, and Commander-in-Chief of the Alaska National Guard, is a type of real, substantive experience that neither Obama nor Biden has. As noted by a commenter at the Corner quoted by Jonah Goldberg here:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NWQ2YzMyNGViMmIyY2I0MTliYjRjYmU4MmMxOWZjODA=
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Commander of the Alaskan National Guard
Before you dismiss that Commander of the Alaska National Guard stuff. This came from a reader who plays the game and it jibes with my knowledge.
Alaska is the first line of defense in our missile interceptor defense system. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard is the unit that protects the entire nation from ballistic missile attacks. It’s on permanent active duty, unlike other Guard units.
As governor of Alaska, Palin is briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counterterrorism. Her exposure to classified material may rival even Biden’s.
She’s also the commander in chief of the Alaska State Defense Force (ASDF), a federally recognized militia incorporated into Homeland Security’s counterterrorism plans.
Palin is privy to military and intelligence secrets that are vital to the entire country’s defense. Given Alaska’s proximity to Russia, she may have security clearances we don’t even know about.
According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used to keeping secrets.
She can be entrusted with our national security, because she already is.
Alaska’s government lives pretty much entirely off oil revenues, understanding of international energy markets requires a grasp of international affairs as well.
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