Who to Thank for Palin Mania?
September 6th, 2008 at 10:24am Kevin Patrick
Bill Kristol at The Weekly Standard has an excellent analysis on the events of the last couple of weeks that has turned this Presidential race into a dead heat:
First: Thank you, Barack Obama. He lacked the confidence or the strength to ask Hillary Clinton to join him on the ticket … lacked the nerve to double down on the theme of change. Instead, he settled on an unimpressive vice presidential pick, a long-time, long-winded overrated senator from a safe state, who gave him no lift at all in the polls, and offers no prospect of doing so.Second: Thank you, John McCain. He showed guts with his pick of Sarah Palin. He also demonstrated a shrewd strategic sense… He understood the implications of Obama’s passing over Hillary. [H]e had the sense that Palin’s anti-establishment conservatism, pro-family feminism, and tough-minded reformism would add something important to his campaign.
Third: A special thank you to our friends in the liberal media establishment… The ludicrous media feeding frenzy about the Palin family hyped interest in her speech, enabling her to win a huge audience for her smashing success Wednesday night at the convention. [I]t even renewed interest in McCain, who seems to have gotten still more viewers for his less smashing–but well-received–presentation the following evening.
The astounding smugness and mean-spiritedness of so many in the media engendered not just interest in but sympathy for Palin… It allowed the McCain-Palin ticket to become the populist standard-bearer against an Obama-Media ticket that has disdain for Middle America.
Hanna Rosin–who has covered religion and politics for the Washington Post, and has also written for the New Yorker, the New Republic, and the New York Times–lamented in a piece for Slate: “So cavalier are conservatives about Sarah Palin’s wreck of a home life that they make the rest of us look stuffy and slow-witted by comparison.”
In a year of political jiu-jitsu, the MCCain campaign’s ability to use the perceived strengths of Barack Obama (celebrity status, media complicity) against him has been nothing short of masterful.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Media
22 Comments
1. neocon | September 6th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Amazing how McCain has absolutely, and unequivocally taken away the mantra of change from Obama.
I heard a talking head from CNN right after McCain’s speech proclaim that the Maverick is back. And she was right.
With a masterful stroke, he chose Palin and then reaffirmed his Maverick credentials. Political brilliance, and it just won him the WH.
2. kimberly4victory | September 6th, 2008 at 10:42 am
“But she gives us too much credit when she suggests we make the liberal media look stuffy and slow-witted. They do that all by themselves.”
LOL. Isn’t that the truth?!!! Excellent article.
3. neocon | September 6th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Kimberly,
I lived in Chandler for years and am now down in Maricopa.
AZ rocks! We should do lunch sometime.
4. William Teach | September 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Another benefit is to get the media to almost forget about Barry. He is now second fiddle in the race, but, in the few times the media brings him up, they forget he is running against McCain, not Palin.
5. kimberly4victory | September 6th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I have cousins in Maricopa … man, that area is growing like weeds! And, I agree, Arizona rocks … a little bias since I’m a native. :-)
Let’s definitely do lunch sometime … can Mark/Matt/Kevin send emails?
PS Did you see the posts on the thread GOP Convention? RS, Kahn and I were talking about former posters … It was fun.
6. neocon | September 6th, 2008 at 11:12 am
I did read that and enjoyed it. I would love to meet those guys. Anyway, shoot me an e-mail at giantsdiehard@yahoo.com and I will buy you lunch. I am headed out of town next week but we will do it soon.
7. kimberly4victory | September 6th, 2008 at 11:19 am
You are much braver than me to put your email on here! I’m afraid all my liberal admirers would bombard me with love mail. :-)
Lunch sounds great!
8. neocon | September 6th, 2008 at 11:29 am
That’s fairly anonymous e-mail address with a large liberal spam box. I look forward to meeting you.
9. yekepyt | September 6th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Does anyone know if Sarah Palin is going to make the rounds with the usual political pundits on the Sunday morning talk shows tomorrow?
10. Wellington | September 6th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
You know what’s laughable, after stealing O’s rally cry for change, the RNC, (there is no McCain/Palin) wants change from…the existing Republican platform?
Change from what the posters on this hack blog have swallowed voraciously?
You guys are espousing change from yourselves? Comical.
Change from the Bush doctrine? Actually change from themselves?
And then changing from what to…more of the same? McCain voted with McBush over 90% of the time. The platform he’s “changing” from is…different than what the RNC has put before the American people previously?
Change? What change? More of the same. We have McCain as Bush and Palin as Cheney.
Change?
Sorry…empty rhetoric.
By the way, is there another campaign method you guys could steal along the way?
Change? Put the Pitbull before the press. Answer questions. You have no guts.
Empty rhetoric. She might as well be an actress. They can read scripts too.
11. neocon | September 6th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Wellington,
Thank you for clearly demonstrating the frustration and desperation of those on the left. Your post is the symbol of that dilemma.
Incidentally, Obama voted with Bush over 80% of the time.
Obama has been campaigning for two solid years. Palin has campiagned for 8 days, and she punks him in popularity.
Now that’s laughable.
12. yekepyt | September 6th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Well, neocon, just for the sake of accuracy, Obama created his presidential exploratory committee in January, 2007, so he’s been campaigning for less than two years.
McCain filed for his in November, 2006, so he’s been campaigning just a little bit longer.
It’s interesting to consider these time lines, though…. one can’t help but notice that Sarah Palin has been governor of Alaska for less time than McCain’s been campaigning in this very election! Puts some perspective on it.
13. Wellington | September 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
So let me get this straight,
you want change from the platform and policies you so ademately defended and supported?
What are you guys changing? Is there one Bush doctrine or policy that you’re changing?
This idea of changing from the Republican party platform to the Republican party platform has me a bit confused.
Me and the rest of those that are not in the “old boys club”.
(that’s the rhetoric I love…it looked to me that every speaker at the RNC convention was in the “old boys club”).
Change? Again. Comical. Peggy Noonan had it right.
14. neocon | September 6th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Wellington,
You again prove my assertion of your ignorance. Conservatives, including me, have excoriated Bush over his spending and lack of financial restraint. McCain will change that.
We have excoriated him over his delay in changing strategies in Iraq. McCain changed that.
We have excoriated him over his reluctance to drill and to aggressively pursue energy alternatives. McCain will change that.
We have excoriated him over his inability to resolve the SS crisis. McCain will change that.
Do you get it now? Maybe just a little?
15. Wellington | September 6th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
You have excoriated him?
You bloody hypocrite. You B.S. artist.
You have done nothing else but support and defend the Bush doctrine.
This entire blog is about supporting and defending the RNC/Bush doctrine.
Your last post is exactly the rhetorical hypocrisy that demonstrates the Orwellian methodology used by the RNC.
Again. Comical. Sad, but comical. I might add, eerily disturbing.
16. neocon | September 6th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
In the absence of any substantive rebuttal and the lack of any facts to refute, Wellington relies on subjective propaganda.
next
17. William of Orange | September 6th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Wellington writes:
You have excoriated him?
You bloody hypocrite. You B.S. artist.
Whoa, old son! Getting a little worked up there, are you? Didn’t your bosses over at KOS or Obama-surrogate you are posting for tell you to keep your cool?
If you want to earn your dough posting those talking points, you better calm down..
..and take a sip of Kool-Aid.
18. Wellington | September 6th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
excoriate?
We should incarcerate.
19. Kahn | September 6th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
yekept - has Palin been invited? I see Oprah won’t talk to her.
And it took 2 years for Obama to finally talk to O’Reilly.
20. Kahn | September 6th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Wellington Wellington Wellington - bloody hypocrite? “bloody” hypocrite? And you know so much after a week of posting here?
Thanks for an ignorant post from abroad. We don’t have time to educate every stupid limey bastard who thinks he knows best. Stick to the problems in your own country.
Piss off now and go bugger yer mum.
21. phnx | September 6th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
“…You bloody hypocrite…” wellington
You have revealed yourself to be Bush hater from across the pond. Your opinions are meaningless. You have no vote. Go pound sand.
22. yekepyt | September 6th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Hi Kahn,
I think any of the Sunday Morning Talk Shows would have Sarah Palin on in a New York Minute. It would be the highest rated episode ever, probably.
Do you honestly believe that she’s not on Face the Nation or Meet the Press because she hasn’t been invited?