Kathleen Parker: McCain Chose Palin For Her Looks

Conservative Kathleen Parker's column tearing apart Sarah Palin's qualifications netted her thousands of hate letters. But that hasn't stopped her from following up with another salvo on the Republican vice presidential nominee. This time, she posits that Palin's appearance has something to do with the hasty way she was picked.

My husband called it first. Then, a brilliant 75-year-old scholar and raconteur confessed to me over wine: "I'm sexually attracted to her. I don't care that she knows nothing."

Finally, writer Robert Draper closed the file on the Sarah Palin mystery with a devastating article in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine: "The Making (and Remaking) of McCain."

McCain didn't know her. He didn't vet her. His campaign team had barely an impression. In a bar one night, Draper asked one of McCain's senior advisers: "Leaving aside her actual experience, do you know how informed Governor Palin is about the issues of the day?"

The adviser thought a moment and replied: "No, I don't know."

...

One does not have to be a psychoanalyst to reckon that McCain was smitten. By no means am I suggesting anything untoward between McCain and his running mate. Palin is a governor, after all. She does have an executive résumé, if a thin one. And she's a natural politician who connects with people.

But there can be no denying that McCain's selection of her over others far more qualified -- and his mind-boggling lack of attention to details that matter -- suggests other factors at work. His judgment may have been clouded by . . . what?

Read the whole thing.

Rachel Weiner is an Associate Politics Editor at the Huffington Post. She can be reached here.

Comments

[OBXartist]

"His judgment may have been clouded by . . . what?"

His judgement was clouded by her a**! Did no one else see the video of her introduction to the campaign and the American people? McCain looked at her butt the entire time. As much as I hate to acknowledge the impact of the lowest common denominator, it was obscenely obvious why McCain chose Palin. It's the same reason most of her fans today are 30-something males. It has nothing to do with her qualifications or capabitilies. McCain had the hots for her. Cindy should have whacked him upside the head!

[buddbo1]

Good eye, I pointed that observation out to others, how his eyes were stuck on her butt, instead of the gathered crowd. If others go back and take a look of his introduction of her, they will find this to be true.

[NoSillyName]

It was funny, in an disgusting way, the eye darts.... look down, look up, look down, look up. What a gross old thing. Guess he forgot he was on camera.

[livesimply]

When I was young, I heard that referred to as thinking with the little head instead of the big one. Not such a good thing for POTUS, See where it got Clinton. Definitely in the dog house. All I can say is that there are plenty of attractive women in the world. Date them if you want, but don't put your life in their hands.

[NoSillyName]

I understand that Steve Schmidt (sp?), a Rove protege, picked her.

It was obvious how McCain felt about Spalin while she was giving her debut speech. Leering. Eyes continually aiming for her backside. Twisting his wedding ring. He all but drooled. It was disgusting to watch that old fool. You could almost hear him doing his Penguin impression. It was icky.

[betabeta]

One name proves this point... Kay Bailey Hutchinson... what a nut not to pick her, how fortunate for us he didn't!

[vasta]

Laura Ingram on Fox noise is having a hissy fit over this story. She believes there is something sinister going on with so many people bashing Palin.

KATHLEEN PARKER! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

MOVE ON TO LAURA INGRAHAM. SHE WHINES A LOT!

[unite4change]

Make sure you VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE.

[milessierra]

They were going for the sexy school teacher thing for the men votes. And using that she is a female for the Hillary's votes, also John became very smitted by this woman lifting him up, what man wouldn't but like the old saying goes beauty fades dumb is forever. I don't think Palin is dumb, but no way no how she is quilified to be Vice President, let alone President. Also, how brillant is the Obama team, they probably vetted her more than McCain team, and took the approach of letting her sink the ship all by herself. Obama/Biden 08

[Badger84]

Actually, I don't think McCain chose her. My guess is that is that the far right wing of the GOP told him that she was his choice....and he capitulated. He is an empty shell of a man at this point. His concern shouldn't be winning the election; it should be saving himself.

[CalifroniaMark]

Win or lose McCain is a farce and His already weak reputation will NEVER recover after all of the

antics that Palin has brought to His Campaign. McCain A Maverick? I don't think so, because a

Maverick would not have chosen someone simply because they would make him popular because

she is an attractive Woman.


OBAMA / BIDEN NOV. 4th - NOT JUST FOR THE GORGEOUS BUT FOR THE LESS ATTRACTIVE TOO!

[firewmn]

**
My dad - who is 78- said "he didn't care anything about her except she was good looking and would vote McCain because of her looks"..

I disagreed with my dad and he was mad at me for a week and still trys to get digs in ..
I can't wait till the election is over so I can get my dad back from the Shrilla Wasilla spell..
**

[Ugonna]

Is it ok if I don't think she's so goodlooking?

[FaceYourFears]

Me netiher!

[BannedInBoston]

I read somewhere that she actually tries (or used to try) to look a bit dowdy -- hence her trademark glasses (which do not have real lenses and which she doesn't need).

On this whole subject -- didn't we hear a lot of hoopla about Hillary Clinton's supposed exposure of her "cleavage" last year when she wore (on ONE occasion) a VERY slightly low-cut blouse with her pants suit while giving a speech in the Senate. Guess Palin shut up that sort of talk real quick....

[livesimply]

As a female, I surely wouldn't find her attractive as a friend. In fact, I don't know many women who could relate to her on any other level except the superficial.

[daddyG56]

When the people who make you up pull in $10,000 a week, you'd BETTER be good-looking. Personally, I find her to be pretty for a forty-something Mom of four or five, or whatever it is. As a genuine person, I find her to be repulsive. Unfortunately, many men don't care about authenticity, even in a physical sense.

[SaddieMcCall]

If McCain had selected a different female running mate, say Olympia Snow, Elizabeth Dole, Kay Bailey Hutchinson; do you really believe that he or the RNC would spend $150,000 on clothes, and/or $11,000 a week for make-up to doll up a different running mate? It seems that McCain knew that Sarah Palin had no substance, so he had to improve the packaging to make her more marketable.

[thinkguy]

if he had chosen one of them, then maybe people would be able to concede a legitmate, (if wrong minded) woman had been selected. At least the notion of having some right to be there would be present of actual female leaders would have been chosen.

[billkarwin]

I don't buy it. Kathleen Parker is making it up. I don't believe that Sarah Palin was selected as VP because McCain was smitten.

I would believe that McCain and his strategists chose Sarah Palin because they hoped the *voters* would be smitten by her and it might result in some campaign donations from Evangelical Americans. Or they may have hoped the *media* would find her telegenic, and it would gain the campaign free publicity.

And I would also believe that McCain and his staff may be privately attracted to Sarah Palin. But if that's all that's going on, there's no reason they'd need to make her the VP candidate just to satisfy some adolescent desire to ogle her. They could just make her a campaign advisor on ANWR, or name her the "Pro-Life Czar" or something.

[runutz]

Unfortunately I believe this to be true. BUT I do think she has opened doors for those who are knowledgeable about the issues to attempt to apply their rights to make significant changes in communities around this country. Those who don't necessarily have a degree for whatever reason but who definitely have new ideas, that want to contribute and are willing to try.

She may have been chosen by Dick Morris and Bill Kristol because of her looks but she as well as Obama have brought something back to average folk, a sense of belonging and a desire to get involved.

If that bodes an end to a lethargic 20 years of indifference, I'm okay with it.

It's We the people - not we the government and you the people!

[RobinSeattle]

Dick Morris? He didn't have anything to do with this.

And there have been other female governors and much smarter ones at that long before she duped the legions of high school dropouts in Alaska to vote for her.

She also has a degree, though how many box tops she had to amass for it still hasn't been disclosed.

[ThePublicRecord]

http://www.pubrecord.org/sarah-palin/424-palin-wraps-up-two-hours-of-testimony-in-alaska-ethics-probe-.html

Palin Wraps Up Two Hours of Testimony in Alaska Ethics Probe

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrapped up about two hours of testimony conducted at a St. Louis hotel Friday by an independent investigator hired by the state"s personnel board to probe Palin"s firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

Monegan claims he was ousted for because he refused to fire Palin"s ex brother-in-law, a state trooper who was involved in a bitter divorce and child custody dispute with Palin"s sister.

[RobinSeattle]

I can see the Republican ads now: "Sarah Palin: because she's a nice piece of a*s."