By picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has officially abandoned the Independent vote in favor of rallying George W. Bush's old base: evangelical Christians, pro-drilling oil company shills and Rush Limbaugh listeners. Ten reasons why they love her:
1. Doesn't believe in global warming.
2. Does believe in teaching creationism in schools.
3. Wants to drill, drill, DRILL!!! in ANWR.
4. Opposes federal protection for polar bears and sued the federal government to stop them from being on the endangered species list.
5. Lifetime NRA member who's into the aerial hunting of wolves, including wolf puppies.
6. Wants to ban abortion, even in cases of rape or incest (something that will energize the NARAL and Emily's List volunteers to defeat her and McCain in key states in November.)
7. Has a disabled child (downs syndrome) which is one of the ways pro-lifers sell her pro-life credentials (although there is some scuttle that it may not be her baby...)
8. She's old fashioned and traditional. As McCain's "apprentice," she'll stay in her place and not try to shine the way a Mitt Romney might have.
9. She's young, which gives the impression that there are people under age 60 still in the conservative movement, and that the movement still has the youthful vigor the Democratic Party clearly has these days. (And she allows the GOP to claim that see, they can make history, too...)
10. She is a blank slate on Iraq, which allows her to pivot to whatever message the right is selling day by day (but which is also really strange since she has a son about to be deployed there...)
From a media standpoint, Palin could also soften the media on McCain, especially female reporters. If you saw Campbell Brown take umbrage at Paul Begala's mention of Palin being a beauty queen tonight, or Andrea Mitchell's cautiously defensive coverage of her nomination, you know what I mean. And the McCain team clearly hopes Palin's female charm will prevent Joe Biden from going all out to attack her during their lone debate next month. He won't want to pull a Rick Lazio, and Team McCain hopes she's stymie him and the Obama communications team.
That said, none of the above qualities is going to help her close the gender gap, since most of her issue positions are an anathema to women. In fact, Palin looks to me like a time traveler from the 1950s, a woman so out of step with modern womanhood that I can't imagine anyone but the most wacked out PUMAs drifting to McCain because of her.
| Labels: 2008 election, John McCain, presidential candidates, Sarah Palin |
