MrWright
Sex God
McCain's pick of Palin may have been the greatest campaign move on McCain's part thus far though it might backfire.
Here's why:
1. The experience argument McCain's been using STILL works. A lot of Obama supporters have been ignoring this or are ignorant of it but the VP is not necessarily an experience necessary job. Historically, no one really gives a damn about the VP and whether she has experience doesn't matter because it's the PRESIDENT's job to lead (in fact, many VP picks have been very inexperienced...no one cared). As such Republicans can continue to logically state that Obama is ill-prepared while Democratic attacks on Palin's experience fall flat (she'll have time to learn on job).
2. It gives McCain the hype he's needed. So far this campaign has had a lot of hype on the Democrat side and little on the Republican (a black man and a woman locked in a primary duel to the finish is exciting to the news). McCain now has a definite addition of newness which will get him far while Obama seems less and less the change candidate.
3. The ages weigh out. With Obama adding Biden, the Obama ticket lost its youthfulness. McCain adding Palin (three years Obama's junior) brings a complete balance to the ticket's (they're pretty even).
4. It preserves and restates McCain's maverick image that has made his campaign even slightly possible. He chose a newbie who's outside of the Bush political realm and has fought corruption back home (this one's pretty clear).
5. He gains favor with evangelicals. Palin's pretty Christian and...pretty religious (unlike McCain). She has a kid with down syndrome and she's now the poster girl of the 'I could have had an abortion but didn't' club.
6. The two look like a revolution in the Republican party. Though they're really no different on policy terms, the two of them are historic (well not so much McCain but he pretends and people believe) outsiders. It's kind of a cleaning house of sorts and that will fall well with disaffected Republicans who want change but not Democrats.
7. The Democrats only reasonable Plan B fails. The supposed belief is that "hey if Obama loses in '08 at least Hillary will wallop McCain in '12" (I think she actually should have run 4 yrs ago because she makes for a much better attack candidate...not a new one). Not true with Palin. The facts are that women are held up to standards of beauty while they must also not be too sexual or beautiful to garner power (it's our modern aversive sexism that alot of people on these boards ignore). When you put youthful Palin on stage next to a 4 yrs older Hillary the age difference will show and Hillary will lose. Plus, she's lost the revolutionary quality of her candidacy - namely, being a woman.
8. It gives a clear Republican power plan for 16 YEARS. Easy, you get McCain in there for eight with his experience and maverick stylings and then you continue another 8 with Palin as the president and she will represent the advancements in the party...blah, blah, blah.
9. I saved this for last because it's so obvious but it garners some Hillary votes.
But really though...
Clinton supporters should NOT be joining this ticket and all the more because of its shrewd backhand to Hillary. What McCain (and the republicans) are saying when they put Palin in the VP position is that all that Hillary has done throughout her public service life and her campaign of late can be easily replicated and replaced by just any random woman walking on the stage. It completely discredits the hard work of feminists throughout history who have had to fight for equality by saying that since Hillary almost shattered the glass ceiling it is now easily pushed through by the small efforts of any women even though Hillary's campaign clearly revealed that there is a prominent double-standard for women still.
If anything, Palin is trying to steal Hillary's spotlight though she has not the brains, nor the skill, nor the experience to come close to being the woman that Hillary is. It's brash and it comes from a woman who doesn't even support women's rights in the first place (an anti-feminist female candidate).
Hopefully people see through this VERY shrewd move.
Soooo...McCain's really helped himself a lot and lets hope he doesn't win.
And...to those Hillary supporters out there who were hoping for '12. It's gone...McCain killed that possiblity.
Obama/Biden '08
Here's why:
1. The experience argument McCain's been using STILL works. A lot of Obama supporters have been ignoring this or are ignorant of it but the VP is not necessarily an experience necessary job. Historically, no one really gives a damn about the VP and whether she has experience doesn't matter because it's the PRESIDENT's job to lead (in fact, many VP picks have been very inexperienced...no one cared). As such Republicans can continue to logically state that Obama is ill-prepared while Democratic attacks on Palin's experience fall flat (she'll have time to learn on job).
2. It gives McCain the hype he's needed. So far this campaign has had a lot of hype on the Democrat side and little on the Republican (a black man and a woman locked in a primary duel to the finish is exciting to the news). McCain now has a definite addition of newness which will get him far while Obama seems less and less the change candidate.
3. The ages weigh out. With Obama adding Biden, the Obama ticket lost its youthfulness. McCain adding Palin (three years Obama's junior) brings a complete balance to the ticket's (they're pretty even).
4. It preserves and restates McCain's maverick image that has made his campaign even slightly possible. He chose a newbie who's outside of the Bush political realm and has fought corruption back home (this one's pretty clear).
5. He gains favor with evangelicals. Palin's pretty Christian and...pretty religious (unlike McCain). She has a kid with down syndrome and she's now the poster girl of the 'I could have had an abortion but didn't' club.
6. The two look like a revolution in the Republican party. Though they're really no different on policy terms, the two of them are historic (well not so much McCain but he pretends and people believe) outsiders. It's kind of a cleaning house of sorts and that will fall well with disaffected Republicans who want change but not Democrats.
7. The Democrats only reasonable Plan B fails. The supposed belief is that "hey if Obama loses in '08 at least Hillary will wallop McCain in '12" (I think she actually should have run 4 yrs ago because she makes for a much better attack candidate...not a new one). Not true with Palin. The facts are that women are held up to standards of beauty while they must also not be too sexual or beautiful to garner power (it's our modern aversive sexism that alot of people on these boards ignore). When you put youthful Palin on stage next to a 4 yrs older Hillary the age difference will show and Hillary will lose. Plus, she's lost the revolutionary quality of her candidacy - namely, being a woman.
8. It gives a clear Republican power plan for 16 YEARS. Easy, you get McCain in there for eight with his experience and maverick stylings and then you continue another 8 with Palin as the president and she will represent the advancements in the party...blah, blah, blah.
9. I saved this for last because it's so obvious but it garners some Hillary votes.
But really though...
Clinton supporters should NOT be joining this ticket and all the more because of its shrewd backhand to Hillary. What McCain (and the republicans) are saying when they put Palin in the VP position is that all that Hillary has done throughout her public service life and her campaign of late can be easily replicated and replaced by just any random woman walking on the stage. It completely discredits the hard work of feminists throughout history who have had to fight for equality by saying that since Hillary almost shattered the glass ceiling it is now easily pushed through by the small efforts of any women even though Hillary's campaign clearly revealed that there is a prominent double-standard for women still.
If anything, Palin is trying to steal Hillary's spotlight though she has not the brains, nor the skill, nor the experience to come close to being the woman that Hillary is. It's brash and it comes from a woman who doesn't even support women's rights in the first place (an anti-feminist female candidate).
Hopefully people see through this VERY shrewd move.
Soooo...McCain's really helped himself a lot and lets hope he doesn't win.
And...to those Hillary supporters out there who were hoping for '12. It's gone...McCain killed that possiblity.
Obama/Biden '08
