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The Rovian Politics of Choosing Sarah Palin
What does it say about John McCain that he not only picked the least experienced Vice Presidential nominee in America's history, but picked someone he really didn't know? Departing so far from any normal concept of appropriate background, he should at least have had a sense of why this individual is so special. Meeting Palin once at a Republican governors' conference and having a single phone conversation on the eve of her selection just doesn't pass muster -- particularly for the oldest presidential candidate ever, who's had four malignant melanomas.
What makes Palin such a cynical choice is that McCain doesn't know her and doesn't know what drives her. Until she was selected by the Karl Rove types running his campaign (like campaign manager and Rove protégé Steve Schmidt), McCain might not even have recognized her on the street. Instead, she's a category selection, made for the crassest reasons by the same kinds of political operatives who brought us George W. Bush.
Their motives are obvious: Palin is an energetic and attractive woman who just might pick up some disgruntled Hillary supporters. She's a westerner and a hunter who might appeal to rural voters. She might energize a previously tepid base of hard-shell religious conservatives through her opposition to abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Hard right king-maker James Dobson just said that because of her he'd vote for McCain
These attributes may indeed prove Palin's worth as a vote-getter. But except for an abortion position that seems a stunning denial of reality (and a stunning affront to women), they have no relation to Palin's fitness for the job. McCain can't have any sense of what lies beneath the facile marketing categories -- like who Palin actually is, what she could contribute to the Vice Presidential office, and what it would be like to work together. He doesn't know her and has had no chance to. But because she fits the Rovian categories, none of that matters. Echoing so much that the Republicans have done for eight years and more, it's a choice likely to produce grave consequences, yet based overwhelmingly on political expediency.
Leave aside all the other troubling questions about Palin: her extreme abortion position; her backing the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" while campaigning for governor, then later claiming to disavow it; her support for teaching creationism as science. Leave aside her Cheney-style vendetta of firing the Alaska public safety director who refused to fire her former brother-in-law from his job as a state trooper. And her laughing during an interview at the jokes of a radio shock jock who mocked one of her political opponents (a cancer survivor) for her weight, and called the woman a "bitch" and a "cancer" on the state.
You can even leave aside that in a week where Hurricane Gustav threatens another Katrina and the Arctic ice cap separates from the adjacent land for the first time in human history, Palin insists that the jury is still out on whether humans are changing the weather of the planet.
In fact, leave aside Palin's actual record, because John McCain barely knows it. His vetters didn't even bother to go through the archives of Palin's local newspaper or talk with the former public safety director she fired. What choosing her shows instead is a politics that once again subordinates any greater common good to a raw pursuit of power. It echoes McCain praising Jerry Falwell after once calling him an "agent of intolerance." Or embracing Bush's campaign and administration after Bush's political hitmen defeated him in South Carolina with Swift Boat-type lies. Or when instead of challenging Obama's ideas, the McCain campaign tried to caricature him as one step up from Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Karl Rove's minions may be smiling at the brazen gamesmanship of this pick: but if Americans fall for it, they should know all too well what to expect.
Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. His previous books include Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time. See www.paulloeb.org To receive his articles directly, email sympa@lists.onenw.org with the subject line: subscribe paulloeb-articles
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I think that when the Republicancs decided to name a woman for V-P, which must have been soon afterit was clear Hillay Clinton would not get the nomination, they found few choices. Elizabeth Dole is too old, Condaleeza Rice is too black, the two female Republ;ican senators from Maine are too moderate, and ex H-P CEO Carly Fiorina was too vulnerable, having screwed up Hewlett Packard. Sarah Pallin was chosen by default.
Come on, republicans. You can't have it both ways. If Sarah Palin's experience as an executive trumps Obama's experience, then one must view her as being experienced than McCain too. When did McCain ever work as an executive, balance a budget, or make real decisions" Surely, the issue has more to do with the types of decisions and exposure to issues that affect all of America and the world...not just Alaska. Cancelling a bridge to nowhere is certainly somewhat easier than building bridges between world leaders.
Why the bashing? I belong to neither party but I see a lot of people who are bashing Sarah Pulin already.
Why aren't we just looking for the best person for the job and compare records of the past rather than bashing the individual.
I don't understand why some people wish to make politics dirty rather than just supporting the person they feel is best for the job.
I am for USA USA USA USA USA USA!
Republicans are adept at staying on message, whether they are at the local, state or national level. It is as if they get the Talking Points Memo from Karl Rove on a daily basis. None of these people are willing or able to exercise any independent thought or analysis and otherwise deviate from the script. The Propaganda Matrix is in full force and effect on the Republican side. Progressives must take note of this. The choice of Palin will be seen by the thinking portion of the electorate and independents for what it is, a cynical maneuver to lock up the Evangelical vote but a lame attempt to appeal to women voters and those in the Western states, including hunters etc. Attacking the intelligence, experience or character of Sarah Palin will play right into Rove's hands. Keep the spotlight on McCain not on Palin.
The above commentary, while completely on the mark, does not address the silver lining: Through McCaine's choice of Palin, he has unabashedly demonstrated his incredibly poor decision-making ability, and I for one am glad for it. He demonstrates his ignorance and loose grasp on realtiy almost daily, sure, but this was a choice that can not be swept under the rug by the press or the republicans. McCaine chose someone he didn't know solely to appease the right. Whether she stays or goes Palin will continue to bite him on the ass until the election. Thanks John. Thanks Karl.
Why not a Democratic "wedge strategy" like something the Republicans use?
What if instead of attacking Sarah Palin for being unqualified, the Democrats pivot and start attacking John McCain for pandering to the Right Wingnuts? The message should be that he, John McCain, doesn't care about your issues and he only brought Sarah Palin in to pander to you. She is a weak choice for VP who isn't going to be able to stand up to him and your issues will be ignored.
Attacking a strength, isn't that the M.O. for Rovian politics?
The sad part is the so called progressives are reacting just as Rove planned, hurling misogynistic remarks at a mother of five and cruel barbs at two 17 year old kids.,This wil prove to working class and poor Americans that Dems are indeed judgemental,hypocritical elitists.
If there was any chance for those votes due to picking Biden , they're gone now.
I gotta give the guy credit for being one step ahead.
It is not mysoginistic to think that a mother or a father would start to curtail their career ambitions when forced to deal with the unreal demand of parenting a Down Syndrome child. However, this woman decided to take on more outside responsibility, not less. That's hard-core, I don't care what political party you're in.
Would you expect a male politician to curtail his ambitions because of a Down syndrome baby? i doubt it. Besides we have no idea what kind of help she has -
When I heard of McCain's selection, I couldn't believe it. So I put on my "Rove Thinking Cap" and tried to make some sense of this senseless pick. I came up with this:
1. Palin brings in the conservative base and maybe some disaffected Clinton supporters (assuming her candicacy doesn't completely implode before the election).
2. McCain/Palin wins the election.
3. Rove operatives let (or ensure that) the TrooperGate investigation hurts her - "abuse of power" or whatever.
3. McCain is "forced" to ask for Palin's resignation.
4. the GOP installs somebody they really want.
Palin becomes the first female VP and the first female VP forced to resign from office.
I would not be surprised, given the political leanings of Daily Kos, that the Repugs themselves leaked the rumor first that the Downs-syndrome baby was Palin's daughters', so that they now can bluster about how the Dems are being so mean and intolerant to her and her poor daughter, etc etc, when the brave woman was just protecting her daughter, and how heroic to NOT end the preganancy... yadadyadayada........
Yes, pure Rovian Cheap-shot chicanery!
(And what is this "Is Obama Finnished " twaddle here? That in itself is a ROVIAN way to put a question!))
After all the talking points from the republican party are taken out of her accomplishments. Can ANYONE GIVE ME AN accomplishment this woman has done for women rights or even as a government official? Why can' t the republicans answer the same questions from reporters?
The standard reply , from what I've seen about Obama, when that question has been asked, in regards to blacks - was "-He is running for all Americans, not just...(insert special interest group here). I guess the same logic would apply.
Where is the discussion about prccess in the MSM?
The main question is what does this reveal about Grandpa McCain's capacity to make important decisions.
OB spent weeks if not months going over potential candidates in a thorough vetting process.
Make this decision with such minimal diligence is effectively gambling your county's future for the sake of politics.
The fact is, you are not at your peak when you're 72. How many such old people do you see in executive positions in the world.
There's a reason for this.
God help us all if we end up with these marbles.
There is a pretty good chance that in 1-8 years we could end up with a President Palin. Very scary. Very bad for America and planet earth. I read a lot of comments about how unprepared she is. Wrong. She will end up riding the Roves and the Limbaughs to become a maximum leader. Underestimate this woman at your peril. McCain can control her? Come back in 3 years lets talk about that.
Why have Palin's inner sanctum been told since Friday not to talk to reporters by McCain's media team.
a nation almost always deserves its leaders
america is no exception
Yup, but good luck convincing anyone fool enough to fall for Palin (or really, McCain these days), that America is no exception. They'll hang you by the flag to speaking such treason. I really don't know what Conservatives are missing as kids that they need the father figure of Uncle Sam and his nuclear arsenal in order to sleep at night.
Well it looks like it's working for them. Any discussion of real news has gone to the back of the line.
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