us politics
2 Sep 2008
The Gal Loves God and Guns
The McCain camp has taken a huge gamble in choosing Alaskan outsider Sarah Palin as Vice Presidential candidate. And it might just pay off, writes Michael O'Keefe
If you put money on the VP races then you probably took your winnings from the Democrat race and gave it to the bookmakers' Republican favourite. If so, you're now out of pocket.The Republican front-runners were Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty with plenty of sensible choices in the wings. In all probability Sarah Palin should not have even got a place let alone taken the race.
Which prompts the question: Sarah who? What does Palin the candidate stand for?
God and Family Values
She wears her religiosity on her sleeve; a protestant who believes that creationism should be taught in schools. She is disinclined to support gay marriage and is pro life. She married her high school sweetheart. She has five children, and her youngest son has Down Syndrome - a condition she knew about during her pregnancy but did not make public until after the birth.
She's a "hockey mom" who reportedly fired the chef at the Governor's mansion because she can "make sandwiches for her kids herself". So she's definitely no Hillary Clinton and this may appeal to conservative Republicans and Democrats alike, who are supportive of a woman holding the highest office in the land but unsettled by aspects of Clinton's progressive platform.
Guns
Palin is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment right to own guns, but unlike many theoretical supporters who line up for political gain, she also owns guns and uses them. She is an avid hunter and fisher and local game is often on her dinner table. Guns and hunting remain a key political indicator in the United States, where most people support ownership even if they have nothing to do with guns, so Palin may actually tap into a political undercurrent that would otherwise have been sidelined from the campaign.
Executive Experience
Palin has 10 years experience as a city councillor and mayor and two years as Governor, where she is responsible for the National Guard. In fact, she visited Alaskan National Guardsmen during their rotation in Kuwait, and as such has spent as much time there as Obama.
If you think she is a pushover, think again. The press could only find a slightly miffed chihuahua in Biden, but "Sarah Barracuda" ain't no lap dog. The reason she is Governor is that she took on the Republican establishment in Alaska and won. Palin is also a true outsider - her experience is not within Washington and the beltway that many Americans feel is suffocating government. As such, she speaks to the maverick-change message that the McCain camp is using to counter Obama's hope-change platform.
The Environment
As noted she hunts and fishes and is not averse to keeping the Alaskan cold at bay with fur. More significantly, she advocates exploration for oil and gas in wilderness areas. While many Americans have Kyoto on their minds, many are worried about rising fuel prices, and dependence on foreign (read: Arab) fossil fuels. So Palin represents a pragmatic appeal to hip pockets that may just wash with the electorate.
Foreign Policy
This is probably her weakest point (and not coincidentally McCain's strongest). Yes she has control of the Alaskan National Guard, but she has taken no part in decisions about their deployment overseas. The McCain camp, and Cindy in particular, would have us believe that because Alaska is the closest state to Russia she has gained experience - but few are going to buy this line. So the question is whether McCain's shadow can shield her, and whether a focus on local issues can be made into a strength. One thing is certain: it will make accusing Obama of foreign policy inexperience harder to get away with, but the choice of Biden had probably achieved this anyway.
A Token Woman
She is not. She certainly has substance, but not in the way the pundits would have predicted. In fact, this overview shows that she stands in opposition to many of the core "progressive" views assumed to characterise a successful female candidate.
She is used to challenging stereotypes and making firsts - first female governor of Alaska, youngest Governor of Alaska, and although she's not a native Alaskan she's the first Governor born after it gained statehood - so being the first female Republican Vice Presidential candidate continues a familiar trend (the Democrats had Geraldine Ferraro in the failed campaign of 1984). And there can be no doubt that she'll work this angle. For instance, in her first press conference she couldn't resist raising the stakes by noting that her candidacy would "shatter the glass ceiling once and for all".
Her values may scare of some of the disaffected Clinton voters the Republicans are keen to snare, but she certainly won't be accused of "flip-flopping" on issues that many Americans hold dear.
So what about Sarah Palin the person?
You won't get much from her spread in Vogue late last year, although the picture of her leaning against her seaplane frozen in the lake is telling.
She is a happily married mother of five who never strayed far from her hometown (in fact she only got a passport in time to visit the troops in Kuwait). She was a star basket-baller, "Sarah Barracuda", who took her team to the championships and won. And she was a beauty queen. She did a stint as a sports broadcaster on the local NBC station before settling down to have a family and take on the corrupt local Republican leadership.
She is a youthful 44-year-old who keeps fit through midnight runs and moose dinners (which she may very well have shot herself). And she doesn't just go for a brisk stroll, we're talking 10-15 kilometres in 28 below freezing.
This is a high stakes gamble by the McCain camp, and one that has already paid off. After the pomp of the Democratic Convention, the Obama camp was caught wrong footed and groping for a credible response. Clearly they are going to have to throw out the playbook they devised for the orthodox Republican hopefuls. We are beginning to see a tentative response taking shape in a series of careful media comments.
On the Republican side, support has been swift and measured to counter the weaknesses mentioned above. So the likes of Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty have been spruiking Palin's executive experience and her experience "in life". In the National Review Mark Steyn argues that Palin is not simply "all-American, but hyper-American. What other country in the developed world produces beauty queens who hunt caribou and serve up a terrific moose stew?" What country indeed. But there are some dissenters in conservative ranks and the media, especially over Palin's foreign policy credentials.
What does this all mean? Well, that anyone who thought the race was about to become a little pedestrian should think again. McCain has blown the campaign wide open and he can win. We may yet see moose burgers on the menu at the White House.
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Close to 1 in 5 people in the US think that the sun revolves around the earth. What harm can a little creationism do?
What are her strengths, in this highly-contested election ? It depends on who her audience/voters might be. She is anti-abortion, so there goes the younger women’s vote. She’s a woman, so that might get her the menopausal feminist vote regardless of everything else, since after all, she’s a woman. She’s anti-conservation, pro-gun and pro-oil, so she might not get the Green vote, although they might vote for her rather than for the dirty Democrats, in the same way as Hillary supporters might vote for her because she’s not Obama.
Would she help to get the Black vote, the Hispanic vote, or the Jewish vote ? I don’t think so: she’s far too unsophisticated. Yes, she would get the white hick, farming and working-class vote, male and female, because of her love of guns and jobs-at-any-cost, and perhaps the Catholic vote, on the strength of her opposition to women’s right to choose. The youth vote ? Well, she’s only 44, so very possibly, although given the narcissism of small differences, she might be juuuuuust that little bit too old. As well, she might be too close to their mothers’ age, and therefore the enemy.
Should be great fun. This really could be close. Wouldn’t be dead for quids !
Joe
This is a naive reading of Palin as a VP candidate. Far from making the race closer it is virtually certain that, barring unimaginably huge gaffes from Obama, she has destroyed the slim chances that McCain had. I am happy to concede that she is an attractive, lively personality and, yeah, the Republicans are very short of those, but her record and level of experience is so pathetically slim she will be unable to survive the campaign with any worthwhile standing left by polling day. It would take too long to detail these shortcomings here but a look over some of the blogs on Huffpo will give you a reasonable overview.
Her selection is already doing great damage to McCain’s reputation as a sound decision-maker. It is becoming clearer by the hour that the vetting process was minimal and rushed. Given that he had so little personal knowledge of her that vetting acquired even more significance and it is clear that he made a complete hash of it (Bristol’s pregnancy is likely only to be the first of many unhelpful revelations). McCain is known to be something of a chauvinistic womaniser and it is likely that her beauty had some kind of stimulatory and rationality-distorting effect on his old brain.
Because he failed to vet properly there is now a new Alaskan gold rush among the media. No doubt they will find more dirt than gold but actually that is the point of the exercise is it not?
Ha! The first halfway intelligent remark I’ve read in the past couple of days. Joe? Are you Joe from SA? Good. The Americans, if they don’t turn away in droves from John McCain. Please god! The GOP will, if put into power, be (Thank Christ I’m an athiest in a world of Catholics and fundamentalists) one pratfall away-can’t you see the old man tripping over a microphone lead and falling dead into the orchestra pit?) from disenchanting disaster. Enter Sarah from Sasketoon. The hootenanny hoe-down queen: Klondike Annie in her clogs. Her intellectual input will, if based on the appalling names she gave her children, Trigg, Trandy? Bristol? Trak?, be quite astonishing. Can’t you imagine the expression on the face of the world-weary Vladimir Putin as he thinks, Of God! Not another clod from the bible-belt? As I said somewhere else, the hoe down clod hopper, doesedo? would say, when introduced to the French president at the Elyseé Palace, say. "Pleased to meetcha Yer Grace." I can see it now, as she parks her chewing gum under her tongue as she looks at Madame Sarvoy and the elegant, if over done opulence of the room, then saying. "Gee Ya Grace. This is just so cool. I love your drapes."
I have to admit she’s a looker. But as President? Finally I’ve run out of words. Only in America…….
For those having trouble believing that Palin is a big problem for McCain I suggest you read this LA Times article.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-palinassess2-2008sep02,0,3826…
Yes.
Joe from SA
Of course, Democrats have already proven their capacity to turn sexism into a political art form - Obama’s camp have had plenty of experience in their battle against Hillary Clinton.
That being said, the Democrats are still fighting the Primaries in their headspaces - Palin’s significance isn’t in her appeal to HRC supporters, but to the women (and men) of America more broadly. Attacking her because she ‘was only the mayor of a small town’ also further alienates Obama from the ‘small town America’ he’s already derided during the primaries. Overall, a brilliant choice. Even if the Republicans lose, McCain-Palin will keep the losses closer than they should be at the close of so disastrous a presidency.
Give me some examples of where Obama supposedly behaved in a sexist way towards Clinton.
As for the "brilliant choice" the LA article (linked to above) should disabuse you of your illusions.
The NYT take on the vetting schemozzle:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02vetting.html?_r=2&hp&ore…
Sorry, rmg, did you really type this next? ‘She’s a woman, so that might get her the menopausal feminist vote regardless of everything else, since after all, she’s a woman.’ Menopause ergo homogeneous bloc of daft? Hormones. Crazy women. Etc etc?
And Venise: ‘I have to admit she’s a looker.’
To quote a member of that large pantheon of Australian sporting also-rans, coome oonnn.
Hi again trixie,
Yes, I did, and I meant it seriously, in relation to women who have had their kids and will not be threatened by an anti-abortion stance from, after all, a WOMAN, and therefore good. I meant it to be insulting and offensive.
I worked some years ago at a university campus and the regular order came around to re-select our head of school. Almost all staff loved our head, but at the next staff meeting, he called for nomination, was nominated, left the room, the deputy called for further nomination, there were none, he called for discussion, there was none, he put it to the vote and everybody bar one voted for the former head, who was duly invited back in to continue chairing the meeting. It all took about two minutes. The only person not to vote was an extremely revolutionary, progressive, radical, ra-ra, feminist, who would never, under any circumstances, vote for a MAN, on principle. What principle ?
Joe
thanks mate. but i’ve still got no idea why women who’ve had their kids would suddenly switch off the reproductive rights issues? what kind of banal constituency politics does this suggest? - that all men and women of non-childbearing age or inclination are disconnected from the abortion debate? the number of old men pontificating against abortion suggests this is far from the case.
isn’t the unreasonable ra-ra feminist straw doll getting a wee bit tatty after being so frequently paraded?
and unless i’m very much mistaken, snug as they are with the moose-hunters, palin and mccain don’t have a hope of snaring the ‘extremely revolutionary, progressive, radical, ra-ra, feminist’ vote.
Hi Trixie,
That’s my point - once child-bearing years are over, it may be that a tiny number of women and certainly many men suddenly become anti-abortion. And yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if McCain/palin do actually capture that vote: to vote for a man/woman combination may seem to some to be more revolutionary, radical, ra-ra, etc., than to vote for a man/man combination. Sad but true. We’ll see.
Joe
Joe: have I said aught to offend thee? I thought your comment was spot on.Venise
A Republican is a conservative with ‘survival of the fittest’ values whatever his/her colour, race, creed, appearance, professionally written script and media staged event.
and ü Reduce, replace, reuse, recycle - the environment is everybody’s business
Venise,
I’m sorry, my dear, I didn’t mean to offend you: please remind me how, I’m a wombat of little brain.
Cheers,
Joe
Sorry. I’m reduced to a blanket response: What? (Trans.: ibegyourpardon?)
So now can we get back to principle ? What does Palin stand for ? What is she opposed to ? A radio report this morning said that she was against ‘entrenched interests’ but then went on to point out that she was pro-gun, pro-oil, anti-abortion, etc. What ‘interests’ is she against ?
And doesn’t using her muscle as Governor to get some guy sacked for not sacking her brother-in-law, and building a useless bridge - aren’t they evidence of corruption and abuse of office ?
Or can she get away with this because, after all, she’s a woman and men have been doing these things in office for yonks (with the implication that this somehow ‘rights’ the situation ?) No:
* Corruption = corruption.
* Abuse = abuse.
* 2 wrongs NOT equal one right.
Joe
Trixie_dir
Yes, well, I deserved that crack across the knuckles. For about the third time in my life, I thought other people might think my remarks were personal. Therefore they could even think I was jealous of the stupid bint. So I sugar-coated the pill. It wont happen again.
Cheers
Venise.
Having watched her convention speech today I can see why the Left is running scared of Sarah Palin. She delivers what the McCain campaign was lacking - energy, youth and hope. And the proof is in the huge boost to his campaign finances as a result. It’s not about attracting HRC fans; it’s about energising the conservative base and peeling back Obama’s lead among both women and men in the key states.
Obama’s big lead in the polls is based in the big blue states; this election, if polls are any guide, will be decided in Ohio and Colorado. Dems threw away their dream ticket in June; now the Republicans have theirs.
So how different are Palin’s principles from Bush’s ? What did Bush stand for that she opposes ? What does she have in her campaign repeetoire that Bush would not have had ?
Throw in a bit of abuse of office and more hands-on anti-conservation, not to mention some rampant pork-barrelling, and when the glitter and hoopla subsides, what sort of vote will Palin pull that Bush doesn’t now ? Apart from the Hillary vote, I really don’t see her as being much different from what Bush would have stood for, if he was running again. Oh, I forgot, in McCain, he really is. So a McCain/Palin ticket seems to be nothing more than a Bush/Bush ticket.
Joe
I wonder, does the idea of a pit bull terrier in lipstick excite you?
Have you considered therapy?
And what are the principles that the pit bull terrier in lipstick stands for ? In what respects are McCain and Palin’s policies any different from Bush’s ? Are the options to be Bush/Bush or Change and Reengagement with the World ?
Joe
Sarah is a real doll. I hope she is picking up a royalty for use of her Image. Special- needs kids cost lots of dollars.
Who are republiacans going to vote for?
1. The two Mavericks or
2. Obama
This has to be the craziest year in modern American History!
Hillary has been permanently eclipsed. Thankfully!
As far as I’m concerned, apaul, the Democrats binned what I would have considered to be their dream ticket last year, when Pat Richardson left the race for the nomination; Hillary Clinton and Richardson would’ve made a formidable partnership. Oprah Winfrey helped see to that.
I don’t agree with much that Sarah Palin stands for, but the jibe from EarnestLee about her kid smacks of gutter journalism; it comes in at about the standard of your average Rupert Murdoch-owned media outlet. Leave it out.
What does Palin stand for, what does she espouse and what does she actually do, how does she use or misuse her powers ? I don’t care if she rolls in moose shit by the light of the full moon, what is she likely to do in office, especially if she were president ?
Earnest, what policies did Hillary espouse, and what is her actual record ? In what ways are her policies better or worse than Palin’s, and vice versa ? Where did Richardson stand on the key issues ?
Policies and principles, not personalities and pap !
Joe
For damning evidence of Palin’s opposition to Alaskan Indigenous rights can be found on:
http://au.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.rand=bat67um2njc78
Yes, she can wave her husband around and claim to be friendly to Native Alaskans but the truth is far different. Up against the wall !
Are the Republicans abandoning all pretence of being for the people and latching onto their core values of racism, privilege, WASP control and male dominance ?
Joe
More on Palin’s total hypocrisy about Native Alaskan rights:
http://au.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.rand=61mni99uhbed8