Posted on 08/29/2008 10:31:47 AM PDT by americanophile
Don’t kid yourself…John McCain just put all his chips on the table and rolled the dice.
Over the past many months, McCain’s team had skillfully underscored the natural impressions of Americans – that Barak Obama was the lightweight in the race; the candidate of risk. Now, with a single stroke McCain has undercut his most effective argument. He has weakened his case for wisdom and experience, and elevated a one-term governor of a small-population state based on her gender.
McCain had plenty of safe choices. Choices that would have bolstered Americans’ inherent understanding of McCain’s competency and ability; choices that would have underscored the longstanding notion that whatever gimmick the Democrats try, the Republican Party remains the serious one.
With the electorate evenly split, McCain’s first job was to pick a competent running mate that would not undermine his standing, and would reassure voters that should something happen to the oldest man ever to be nominated for president, a competent, experienced leader, ready to serve as commander-in-chief in a time of war, was waiting in the wings.
The former Miss Congeniality, and hockey mom from “the last frontier” is a bizarre choice.
McCain’s pick today has all the hallmarks of a political gimmick and a hail-Mary pass. While it is likely to excite some conservatives, his choice will refocus the entire campaign away from Obama’s status as a political neophyte and will reshuffle the risk calculus in the favor of the increasingly familiar, and always-eloquent Obama. With Biden on the ticket, Obama has lessened the sense that he poses a serious danger to the electorate. McCain’s selection by contrast is likely to shake voters and cast uncertainty on the wisdom and safety of a McCain presidency.
With competent and proven individuals waiting in the wings such as Governor Mitt Romney, the selection of Sarah Palin is a most unfortunate choice.
John McCain may have just lost the 2008 election…cue the hurricane.
The author can bite my crank. McCain has consistently shown audacity throughout this campaign. He has made a bold choice with Palin. I think it’s brilliant.
I LOVE this pick. Governor Sarah Palin has more EXECUTIVE experience than Biden and obama - COMBINED.
But does he have any Elvis in him?
She takes the whole stupid "Make history by electing the first (fill in the blank for your favorite minority)" argument. I just read that Evangelical Christians are ecstatic about her being chosen. McCain just shored up his base, and maybe brought in some PUMA's as well.
I don't see how there could have been a better choice.
1) first Republican woman selected to run as VP instantly makes this a “historic” ticket
2) secures and energizes the base
3) offers Hillary voters the opportunity to vote for a woman
4) executive experience (plus Governor of a Western state is a plus with many Western states in play this election)
5) great on oil/gas/energy
6) excellent speaking skills
7) conservatives can visualize her as future president
8) very “family values”
9) will attract some union voters who normally vote straight Dem ticket
10) stregthens McCain’s “reform” message
Did I miss anything?
I can vote for McCain/Palin without holding my nose.
Palin is a brilliant choice.
For gambling analogies McCain just pulled an inside straight against two pair. Question now is if Obama can turn it into a full house.
I couldn’t disagree more with the tone or content of this article. It’s an inspired choice.
Yes, he may have given away a little of the experience argument against Barack, although I don’t completely agree with that. But, he got so much more in the bargain. He’ll solidify the conservative base vote. He’ll pick up a lot of independent women. Plus, she’s pro-life, NRA member, reformer. She’s got it all!
Great choice, McCain. Checkmate.
Uh, just speaking for myself, I’d like to hear what she has to say prior to forming an opinion.
Is that unreasonable?
So let me ask you raygunfan, what is her positions on Illegal Immigration issues?
And I ask that as a non-fan of Romney. I did not want him and saw him as a liability.
Sarah hit 4 grand slams, infact, she hit the balls so hard she put them in obit.
Sarah has executive experience which Obama lacks.
Sarah has far more accomplishments as Governor than Obama has as a Senator.
Whine, Whine, Whine about an excellent pick! Figured someone would try to rain on the parade because their candidate was not the choice and here it is within a few hours of the nomination. Sitting here shaking head with a huge smile on my face!
Attacking Mrs. Palin on lack of experience would be a very poor tactic. Criticizing McCain for choosing someone outside the short list is also short-sighted. Mrs. Palin may not have a great deal of foreign policy experience (although it might be more extensive than people believe, given her proximity to Russia and Canada), but experience also includes the “real life” experience none of the other candidates can really claim. Obama has lived in a liberal never-never land all his life. Biden is the ultimate Washington insider who has spent nearly his entire adult life in the Senate. McCain is also a long-time Washingtonian who is married to a multi-millionaire. But there is the experience she has: wife, mother of five, worker, coach, grass-roots reformer, mayor of a small town (and don’t kid yourself, that is often more challenging than mayor of a huge city) commissioner, governor. As every woman knows, the so-called powers that be tend to put down that experience as useless. No one can accuse her of being an elitist, something none of the others have dodged. She can capitalize on it in the same way that women have claimed it takes a woman to clean the house. And she will give fits to the Queen Bee on Capitol Hill.
With O as president, he will continue to receive lessons from the DNC that he is their puppet.
Sadly, this is the most accurate assessment of the Palin pick that I’ve read thus far. The euphoria over Palin is IMHO misspent and premature. I have little hope for November at this point.
She’s an excellent choice. I’d have been happy with Romney, I like the guy, but she’s an excellent choice.
Forget the nonsense that she undercuts Obama’s lack of experience. She has 16 years in public life, and she has a track record of standing up for what she believes. And she has held real jobs over the years, not make-believe jobs like Obama.
Obama, on the other hand, has never had a real job. He has no resume at all, and what little he has can’t be documented. What have you been doing all your life if before it can be disclosed they have to clean any mention of you out of the files first?
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