Posted on 08/31/2008 3:50:14 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
I have seen a lot of commentary on why John McCains 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 dont 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 Obamas strength as a change agent. And challenge, what the McCain campaign will describe as, Obamas 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 partys establishment, and fought for reform.
The McCain/Palin duo will challenge Barack Obamas 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 wasnt 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 isnt 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 McCains 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 isnt Dan Quayle, and besides, Dan Quayle was elected vice president.
My take? Dont 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.
Thats 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.
He WAS? REALLY???
I never heard that before...
makes sense to me
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!
LOL
Yes, this seems unbelievable--somebody in the drive-by media has actually figured it out.
I always stop to ask “Which side?”
At least Palin can show a legitimate birth certificate.
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.
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!
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.
Keep laughing, liberal trash. Keep laughing.
That's okay. Sarah took care of it.
News to us all!!!
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.
Are you SURE it wasn't a Poland China???
“Like the Swift boat attacks of 2004 on Senator John Kerry, a decorated Viet Nam Veteran...”
Really? Who knew.
** challenge, what the McCain campaign will describe as, Obamas weak or non-existent attacks on corruption within the Democratic Party and other institutions throughout his career.**
Yes, McCain and Palin. Go for it!
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!!!
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