Minneapolis-St. Paul -- Even without George Bush in the Twin Cities, the GOP cannot escape its miserable record over the last eight years. (Indeed, trying to spot a recognizable Republican in town has become a favorite early-convention game.)
So you can see why Sarah Palin was such an appealing pick for John McCain. Along with all the things she brings to the table -- fresh face, mother of five, hockey mom -- Palin is notable for what she doesn't bring: a track record.
If McCain had picked any of the far more experienced candidates on his short list, they would have come fully equipped with a long paper trail implicating them in the horror show that is the Republican Party of the last eight years.
Palin has barely left a footprint on the GOP scene. And the McCain camp immediately scrubbed one of the few marks -- an ad on her campaign website featuring an endorsement from newly indicted Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.
So with a party brand as damaged as the GOP's is right now, lack of experience isn't a bug, it's a feature.
On HuffPost today, Bob Borosage is asking a question that all of us who value at least a a two-party system (and I would definitely prefer more than two) are wondering: How can we salvage the Republican Party?
Having a vice presidential nominee with no paper trail is a good campaign ploy, but the full-scale overhaul needed cannot be accomplished with Palin's antediluvian beliefs.
As Borosage writes, "on issue after issue -- from the Iraq War to Katrina, from contraception to consumer protection, from health care to fair trade -- a growing majority of Americans are abandoning the Republican position. The new center is progressive, not conservative."
McCain doesn't just need someone with a fresh face; he desperately needs someone with fresh ideas. That would have been the real maverick choice.
Instead, he's got someone who, in perfect agreement with the Republican platform, believes abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother.
He's got someone who, in defiance of science, doesn't believe global warming is man-made.
He's got someone who, in defiance of science, wants creationism taught in schools.
He's got someone who wants to further increase the health-care burden on the patient.
He's got someone who wants to ban all stem-cell research.
The Republican Party isn't in dire electoral straits because Middle America loves these ideas but just wants to see them implemented by a woman.
The Republican Party is in dire electoral straits because its ideas are outside the mainstream. And in choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has moved his ticket even further from the center of the country. Yes, she energizes the GOP base -- a fact that should scare the hell out of any Republican who cares about the future of the party.
The problem with today's GOP isn't the packaging; it's the product.
So read Borosage's post and let us know what you think the Republican Party should be doing to save itself. Electing McCain/Palin clearly is not the answer. What do you think the answer is?
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
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So, to put it mildly, Sarah Palin is Obama's own damn fault. She is a direct consequenc
People like Palin because of what she IS, not because of what she believes in. She is a woman that Obama and his Obamaniacs are not going to throw under the bus, the way they threw Hillary under the bus. Getting her to QUIT while she still had a chance of winning? OUTRAGEOUS
Sure, her abortion ideas are nutty, but you have to respect that she has the courage of her conviction
Sarah Palin is a problem for the Democrats, but it is only because of Obama's poor judgement that she even exists. If Obama had GOOD JUDGEMENT, he would have picked Hillary, and McCain would have picked someone boring like Mitt Romney.
On the other side of the coin, I don't think ANYONE has been bashed more by Limbaugh than Hillary. He virtually runs the republican party now and I don't even want to think about the crap we'd have had to listen to for YEARS if he thought Hillary was a serious contender, much less if she had been sitting in the White House. I still haven't forgotten how vile he was to the Clinton administra
Sarah Palin would bring change, like she has in Alaska.
Sarah doesn't like Juneau, doesn't recognize Juneau is Alaska's capital city.
It is rare when you can find our Governor in Alaska's capital. It is rare when you can find many of her department heads living in Juneau. She told them (her Commission
So, if you're tired of having your Congressio
Here's what every American who gets a chance to see her or McCain speak should do. Demand she come out of hiding. But do it with some pizzaz. The Republican
I even have a chant ready for your use. It goes like this:
Sarah, Sarah, strong and able, meet your country, talk to cable!
And for McCain:
Johnny, Johnny, strong and able, Let your pitt bull talk to cable!
Hillary CLinton, and Kerry, all be at the democratic convention cheering for you and trying TO HELP
OBAMA, lol
the old expression goes, with friends like these lol
With McCains pick of Palin, he brought that divide back with- a- vengeance. And also set us women back 2 steps by picking someone who is so unqualifie
The 2-party system is broken and too many of our elected are "running ruff-shod" over the American voter.
Obama has alaigned himself with the "good-ole-
McCain needed a decider (in case he forgot what he was doing), and he has found that in Palin. One only has to look at the controvers
I'd also like to know what Palin's real reason to oppose the protection of polar bears really is and who will benefit if she prevails in her opposition to protecting the polar bear.
It would be nice if we had the option to choose the best candidate, but instead, we are once again having to choose the lesser of evils to fill the office of President of the US.
A related/un
http://www
Dont think Mrs. Perfect reformer is so perfect.
I hate to disillusio
You like to think of yourselves as the leader of the free world. Please vote accordingl
I don't know if you read all these posts, but I'll start by saying I am a fan of your site, for being at the forefront of breaking news in new media. However, tonight I have become troubled by the huge disparity between the informatio
The difference is very telling.
These stories are huge, yet they have not reached very far. And this is problemati
My humble suggestion is a call to action. GOTF: Get out the facts. We've heard enough about Palin to carry us through the week, if not the next two months. But many people do not know -- for instance, that the details of the Daily Kos rumor were in fact first reported in the Alaskan news.
Our time now would be better spent informing our fellow bloggers, than laughing amongst ourselves.