Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The Palin Selection
If one would like to be dismissive of her executive experience as a small town mayor, that's fine; but she is the elected governor of the state which is our nation's largest producer of oil and gas. And she did Chair the Alaskan oil and gas commission. Isn't there some risk that she might run circles around all three senators in the race on the topic of energy? Oh, and by the way, she has more executive experience than both Messrs. Obama and Biden. And probably McCain, by the way.
It strikes me that arrogantly dismissing Palin's achievements risks alienating those who might see in Palin an excellent role model. And Biden runs a significant risk of making a snide or condescending remark -- and so does Obama - which could aggravate many women who will undoubtedly watch her performance with some sympathy in this election process. We should not forget that Hillary did lambaste the traditional media for sexism; that Obama was caught on camera dismissing a questioning female reporter as "sweetie;" and that one of Biden's first reactions to the Palin selection was to refer to her as "good looking."
Finally, we have had the great frenzy over the fact that Palin's 17 year old daughter is pregnant. Does the left media really believe she and McCain didn't already know this? To me, this life reality actually makes the McCain Palin ticket the "in touch" ticket. Both of them have children serving in the military, overseas, at war. Who will understand better what war entails? Palin is raising a family of 5 children, a working mother, in hardscrabble Alaska. Who will play better amongst the "clinging to guns and Bible" crowd? Can there be a more interesting and poignant juxtaposition than Obama's recent commentary regarding abortion and not wanting his daughter "punished with a baby" as a result of an unwanted pregnancy versus Palin's choice to have a Down Syndrome baby and now her own daughter's decision to have her baby?
Dismissing Palin and McCain's selection is precisely akin to writing McCain off for his rally to support President Bush in Iraq and argue strenuously for the Surge.
It is entirely too early to do that. The American electorate certainly will not. They will pay great heed to McCain's and Palin's performance. If they perform well -- and outstrip what seems to have become low media expectations -- they will have a unique ticket and an excellent chance at victory.
4 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue Sep 02, 06:34:00 PM:
I'm watching the show unfold with plenty of interest. I would have thought her demographic profile is much, much closer to the electorate than any of the others and as an outdoors type would either appeal to her fellows or to at least the dreams of many.
JC
By , at
Tue Sep 02, 07:25:00 PM:
The lefties and their running dogs in the media are, indeed, playing a risky hand.
Ann Richards was a party hack for the Dems in Texas and, IIRC, a significant underdog to Claytie Williams, a well connected and respected Texas good-ole-boy. Williams voiced the old, "if rape is inevitable..." bromide in public and the media trumpeted it across Texas. My wife and daughters were so outraged that they and millions of other Texas females voted for Richards. She won.
Now, in the long run, it worked out fine because when she ran for reelection, she faced George Bush and he beat her like a rented mule.
When Hussein or Clueless Joe does say something truly stupid, e.g., "honey," "sweetie," or "a woman's place...," millions of women will be outraged. None of Husein's elitists, hairy pitted amazons or sisters will switch but normal American females who would otherwise have stayed home, will show their support for Palin.
By , at
Tue Sep 02, 07:54:00 PM:
When Hussein or Clueless Joe does say something truly stupid, e.g., "honey," "sweetie," or "a woman's place...," millions of women will be outraged. None of Husein's elitists, hairy pitted amazons or sisters....
Eclipsed only by the tens of millions of men and women who are outraged someone who thinks like you.
Is there a reason that you continue to refer to Obama by his middle name? It strikes me as disturbingly regressive behavior. Even for someone from Texas.
By , at
Tue Sep 02, 08:29:00 PM:
May I also suggest that it is just great that she has done so much on her own merits, rather then the all to typical route (at least in the past) of taking over he husband's seat for congress/dog catcher/etc?
We like hardy, frontier women.
