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Joe Trippi: Don't LOL At Sarah Palin [Surprisingly Good Read]
CBS News ^ | August 31, 2008 | Joe Trippi

Posted on 08/31/2008 3:50:14 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

I have seen a lot of commentary on why John McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is a cynical and transparent ploy to bring disaffected women who supported Hillary Clinton to his cause - and why this ploy would fail.

But I don’t think John McCain and the people around him are that stupid.

Something else in his speech introducing Palin as his choice caught my attention and I believe shines some light on the real reason McCain chose the Alaskan.

McCain said of this pick “I have found the right partner to help me stand up to those who value their privileges over their responsibilities, who put power over principle, and put their interests before your needs...I found someone with an outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies; someone who has fought against corruption and the failed policies of the past."

The McCain campaign plans on making an assault on Barack Obama’s strength as a change agent. And challenge, what the McCain campaign will describe as, Obama’s weak or non-existent attacks on corruption within the Democratic Party and other institutions throughout his career.

Like the Swift boat attacks of 2004 on Senator John Kerry, a decorated Viet Nam Veteran -- this assault will be on what is now a strength of Barack Obama's -- his focus on changing a broken system in Washington.

To make this assault, McCain picked in Palin someone who has taken on the corruption in the GOP in Alaska, turned against her own party’s establishment, and fought for reform.

The McCain/Palin duo will challenge Barack Obama’s claim of “a new kind of politics” and chastise Obama and Democratic vice presidential Nominee, Joe Biden, for their “silence” in taking on corruption in their own party in Illinois, Delaware and Washington, DC.

The McCain campaign intends to claim that “more of the same” in Washington means Barack Obama and Joe Biden and will make the argument that if you want to “shake things up” then McCain and his reform minded running mate from Alaska will get the job done.

My initial reaction was that in picking Palin, McCain had taken away the argument that Barack Obama wasn’t ready to be president. I now think my initial assessment on that score was wrong. Over time, the McCain team will insinuate that if you think a first-term Governor isn’t ready for the number 2 slot, are your really sure that a first-term Senator is ready for the number 1 spot?

There are flaws in all these arguments. There is McCain’s own brush with corruption as a member of the Keating Five, as the country was wracked by the savings and loan scandal.

And Barack Obama has withstood the pressure of 19 months in the limelight as he secured the Democratic nomination, and proved he can handle the pressure--Sarah Palin has not. Palin could thrive and strongly help McCain make his case, or she could crumble and damage his candidacy. My first impression is that she is not going to crumble.

She isn’t Dan Quayle, and besides, Dan Quayle was elected vice president.

My take? Don’t LOL. Take the McCain/Palin ticket seriously.

Hurricane Gustav may hit the GOP convention as hard as it hits the Gulf Coast - but somewhere during his convention I expect John McCain to say “I love my party, but I love my country more."

Sarah Palin amplifies that part of the McCain brand, and helps to move McCain further from being identified with the Bush GOP, even while exciting some of the most conservative elements within it.

That’s accomplishing a lot and none of it involves Palin garnering votes from women “just because she is one."

Can the McCain of 2008 morph back to the McCain of 2000? Only if Democrats laugh out loud at Palin, let their guard down, and let it happen.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2008veep; election; electionpresident; elections; mccain; obama; palin; trippi
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I think I just saw a Duroc fly past my window...
1 posted on 08/31/2008 3:50:15 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Senator John Kerry, a decorated Viet Nam Veteran

He WAS? REALLY???

I never heard that before...

2 posted on 08/31/2008 3:52:04 PM PDT by Old Sarge (I am not voting for McCain - I'm voting for PALIN!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
ultimately, I'm not sure it matters why he chose her. I only know the electorate seems to be unusually energized by her, and it is up to the electorate after all.
3 posted on 08/31/2008 3:53:01 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (when you're bot, you're pwn3d)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

makes sense to me


4 posted on 08/31/2008 3:55:43 PM PDT by woofie
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If I may steal a page from the DNC’s playbook, MSM edition, anyone who doesn’t vote for McCain/Palin is a woman-hating bigot and male chauvinist pig. LOL!


5 posted on 08/31/2008 3:56:01 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (DemocRATS are a visible reminder of what it was like before people became civilized.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I think I just saw a Duroc fly past my window...

LOL

Yes, this seems unbelievable--somebody in the drive-by media has actually figured it out.

6 posted on 08/31/2008 3:56:45 PM PDT by stripes1776 ("That if gold rust, what shall iron do?" --Chaucer)
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To: Old Sarge

I always stop to ask “Which side?”


7 posted on 08/31/2008 3:56:58 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

At least Palin can show a legitimate birth certificate.


8 posted on 08/31/2008 3:57:38 PM PDT by NaughtiusMaximus (Our VP candidate has more balls than their POTUS candidate and their VP.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
“The McCain/Palin duo will challenge Barack Obama’s claim of “a new kind of politics” and chastise Obama and Democratic vice presidential Nominee, Joe Biden, for their “silence” in taking on corruption in their own party in Illinois, Delaware and Washington, DC.”

Well, it looks like someone in the msm has a brain. We are going to start with Barry's only executive experience that occurred in Chicago and the dispersion of the cool $100,000,000 in partnership with Ayers. That money just went down the Chicago political machine rathole.

Then off to Bin Biden and the corruption of his son. The dimocRATS and msm will not know what hit them.

9 posted on 08/31/2008 3:58:29 PM PDT by Parley Baer
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I just watched the Missouri McCain-Palin rally live on CSPAN. Mitt and Huck were there, too. She did great and I noticed she appropriately re-tuned some of her stump speech to highlight specifics of her executive experience, and drop the line about Hillary (which is good because the first time was enough).

Mitt was fired up as hell! Fun rally!


10 posted on 08/31/2008 3:58:35 PM PDT by Norman Bates (Freepmail me to be part of the McCain List!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Trippi’s right. Read somewhere that McCain’s team decided the ‘not ready for leadership’ bit had run its course. Rove was right too: going with a conservative was a safe, not risky, thing to do.


11 posted on 08/31/2008 4:00:37 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
...challenge, what the McCain campaign will describe as, Obama’s weak or non-existent attacks on corruption within the Democratic Party and other institutions throughout his career.

Keep laughing, liberal trash. Keep laughing.

12 posted on 08/31/2008 4:00:53 PM PDT by Petronski (The Vice Presidency is below Sarah Palin's paygrade.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I think I just saw a Duroc fly past my window...

That's okay. Sarah took care of it.


13 posted on 08/31/2008 4:01:18 PM PDT by Lady Jag (Donate to FR anytime at https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate)
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To: Old Sarge

News to us all!!!


14 posted on 08/31/2008 4:01:18 PM PDT by GOP Poet
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To: the invisib1e hand
ultimately, I'm not sure it matters why he chose her.

I agree, and am one of the "fired up" ones.. I see Palin as the quintessential "common man" and she will pull middle class voters like a magnet.

The fact that she seems truly to be conservative is icing on the cake.

I just did something I never thought I would-donated directly to the McCain campaign..today's the last day you can do so. His pick for VP earned my donation.

15 posted on 08/31/2008 4:01:18 PM PDT by A.Hun (Common sense is no longer common.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Note: The slogan was originally posted to FR by Renfield. Islander7 created the graphic. I've merely taken the initiative in publicizing it. It's so good, it may well be the "Sore/Loserman" of the 2008 election.
16 posted on 08/31/2008 4:03:30 PM PDT by sourcery (Social Justice. n. 1. Enslavement of those who work for the benefit of those who don't.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"I think I just saw a Duroc fly past my window... "

Are you SURE it wasn't a Poland China???

17 posted on 08/31/2008 4:04:13 PM PDT by Wonder Warthog
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Like the Swift boat attacks of 2004 on Senator John Kerry, a decorated Viet Nam Veteran...”

Really? Who knew.


18 posted on 08/31/2008 4:05:08 PM PDT by peggybac (Tolerance is the virtue of believing in nothing)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

** challenge, what the McCain campaign will describe as, Obama’s weak or non-existent attacks on corruption within the Democratic Party and other institutions throughout his career.**

Yes, McCain and Palin. Go for it!


19 posted on 08/31/2008 4:07:24 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Why on earth would Obama and Biden, both lawyers, take on corruption in their state? They benefit from it...corruption is what got them into office!!!


20 posted on 08/31/2008 4:12:45 PM PDT by pray4liberty (Stand up and pray up!)
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