No-body expects the Alaskan Politician
With apologies to Michael Palin and Darby Conley
When Hilary Clinton lost the Democratic primary to Barrack Obama, the talking heads were all a twitter over the prospect of her supporters letting him twist in the wind. This made no sense to me as the positions adopted by Clinton and McCain were incongruous. Then my wife pointed out that issues have nothing to do with winning an election. Elections are little more than a popularity contest. Obama won by cultivating his image. It is a cult of personality. John McCain must have had the same realization when he picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Forget pandering to women or energizing the base. Sarah Palin was selected because she is a better story than any other Republican and just maybe Barrack Obama.
When you think about it in retrospect the choice was obvious. The ads portraying Obama as a vacuous celebrity telegraphed the play. Obama came to Washington after a career filled with community organizing (a welfare program for rent seeking lawyers) and legislating. What he didn’t have on his resume is an honest day’s work.
Enter the Alaskan mom. Before becoming the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin had run a fishing business, worked as a sports caster, been on the PTA, elected to the city council and mayor, and served in state government. Her legislative agenda didn’t include paying people that don’t work but rather a public project that would grow the private sector and an assault on the political establishment that took no prisoners. She gave the people that get up and go to work every day a reason to stop at the polls on the way.
McCain has it figured out. He won the Republican nomination by living long enough to have the best name recognition in the field. He saw the writing on the wall in ’06 and knew this was a Democrat year. Once the opponent was known to be Obama, the race became about personalities. Let’s face it, McCain shouldn’t let his out in public. Using this election to introduce the next conservative star was his only chance.
This is a dangerous play. The bloom is going to come off the rose as we learn more about Palin. If the GOP can make this look like the media is piling on and attacking a likable person that everyone can identify with, they have a chance. If the fickle public falls out of love with Sarah, it will be president Obama.