What Palin does for McCain, and to Obama

With multiple media outlets confirming now that Governor Sarah Palin will indeed join the Republican ticket as John McCain’s running mate, McCain has clearly chosen to play offense rather than defense. Instead of a safe choice, such as closest runner-up Mitt Romney or genial Everyman Tim Pawlenty, McCain took some risk with a relative newcomer to national politics. Palin will inject risk, excitement, controversy, and an unexpected historic note to the Republican convention.

First, though, let’s assess the risk. Palin has served less than two years as Governor of Alaska, which tends to eat into the experience message on which McCain has relied thus far. At 44, she’s younger than Barack Obama by three years. She has served as a mayor and as the Ethics Commissioner on the state board regulating oil and naturalk gas, for a total of eight years political experience before her election as governor. That’s also less than Obama has, with seven years in the Illinois legislature and three in the US Senate.

However, the nature of the experience couldn’t be more different. Palin spent her entire political career crusading against the political machine that rules Alaska — which exists in her own Republican party. She blew the whistle on the state GOP chair, who had abused his power on the same commission to conduct party business. Obama, in contrast, talked a great deal about reform in Chicago but never challenged the party machine, preferring to take an easy ride as a protegé of Richard Daley instead.

Palin has no formal foreign-policy experience, which puts her at a disadvantage to Joe Biden. However, in nineteen months as governor, she certainly has had more practical experience in diplomacy than Biden or Obama have ever seen. She runs the only American state bordered only by two foreign countries, one of which has increasingly grown hostile to the US again, Russia.

And let’s face it — Team Obama can hardly attack Palin for a lack of foreign-policy experience. Obama has none at all, and neither Obama or Biden have any executive experience. Palin has almost over seven years of executive experience.

Politically, this puts Obama in a very tough position. The Democrats had prepared to launch a full assault on McCain’s running mate, but having Palin as a target creates one large headache. If they go after her like they went after Hillary Clinton, Obama risks alienating women all over again. If they don’t go after her like they went after Hillary, he risks alienating Hillary supporters, who will see this as a sign of disrespect for Hillary.

For McCain, this gives him a boost like no other in several different ways. First, the media will eat this up. That effectively buries Obama’s acceptance speech and steals the oxygen he needs for a long-term convention bump. A Romney or Pawlenty pick would not have accomplished that.

Second, Palin will re-energize the base. She’s not just a pro-life advocate, she’s lived the issue herself. That will attract the elements of the GOP that had held McCain at a distance since the primaries and provide positive motivation for Republicans, rather than just rely on anti-Democrat sentiment to get them to the polls.

Third, and I think maybe most importantly, Palin addresses the energy issue better and more attuned to the American electorate than maybe any of the other three principals in this election. Even beyond her efforts to reform the Oil and Natural Gas Commission, she has demonstrated her independence from so-called “Big Oil” while promoting domestic production. She brings instant credibility to the ticket on energy policy, and reminds independents and centrists that the Obama-Biden ticket offers nothing but the same excuses we’ve heard for 30 years.

Finally, based on all of the above, McCain can remind voters who has the real record of reform. Obama talks a lot about it but has no actual record of reform, and for a running mate, he chose a 35-year Washington insider with all sorts of connections to lobbyists and pork. McCain has fought pork, taken real political risks to fight undue influence of lobbyists, and he picked an outsider who took on her own party — and won.

This is change you can believe in, and not change that amounts to all talk. McCain changed the trajectory of the race today by stealing Obama’s strength and turning it against him. Obama provided that opening by picking Biden as his running mate, and McCain was smart enough to take advantage of the opening.

What is with McCain. and his campaign? I can not believe the moves they have been making.

Governor Palin is a Nightmare…..

……..For the Democrats.

McCain recent videos have been Brilliant, focused on a message, and to the point. Even the congratulations message to Obama’s accomplishments last night was genius.

Now you add Governor Palin to the Ticket. Her past speaks volumes.

• She has a record of thinks SHE HAS ACTUALLY DONE….not voted on doing
• She appears to have cut wasteful government spending in every office she has held, including cutting her own salary
• She has hired the best people to work in government jobs ignoring what party they are in..
• She has taken on corruption in Alaska Politics. Even more astounding she started going after the Republicans’ first. Talk about cleaning her own house first.
• Lets see Them Attack her on the Prolife position while she holds her son Trig.
• She has attacked corruption in the oil industry while pushing for better energy policy.

What can the Democrats attack her with -

Palin fired Walter Monegan as Commissioner of Public Safety. He clams it was because he would not fire Alaskan state trooper Mike Wooten, who had been involved in a divorce and child custody battle with Palin’s sister. The man was suspended for death threats to Palin’s sister, Tasering his 11 year old son, and I have heard there were allegations of spouse abuse as well. Palin’s camp says Walter Monegan was release for not filling Trooper positions and he was offered another Job.

But lets assume Walter Monegan is right and he was released for not firing a State Trooper. You would have a hard time convincing me as father to 5 girls that this was not a GOOD thing to do. I don’t even know how the Democratic’s are going to try and convince other women this action was not appropriate.

I still have massive policy differences with John McCain on policies like free speech, border control, and the environment. Even with these differences he has always held true to what he believes, and I can respect that. McCain’s message has been getting more conservative, but you have to wonder if that is not just “Election Politics”.

Some of those concerns are fading. John McCain has hired some smart people to get is message out. In the past weeks that message has been clear. It has been aggressive in pointing out the policy differences between McCain and Obama. The message has been conservative. McCain’s first remarks on Georgia came so fast they had to be from his heart. Now McCain has picked Governor Palin , a true conservative as a running mate. McCain is showing signs that he knows how to choose good people to help him Govern. Is there any skill more important than choosing good people for any executive, especially for the President.

One last thought….

Leave it to the Liberals to talk about putting a woman in the White house, Watch is take a Conservative to make it happen.

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