Posted by
The Patriot on Monday, September 01, 2008 9:05:02 AM
Sarah Palin. Who'd have thunk it? Of course this now makes the topic of the day, "what do you make of it?" Rather than whip out a quick, reactionary post right after the announcement, I've given this some thought over the last couple of days. I've read and listened to some other opinions, and come to a conclusion about John McCain's Vice Presidential choice: genius. That doesn't necessarily mean that I think that he will win the election because of it, or that having Palin on the won't damage his campaign in the eyes of some. But I think it is a genius move in many ways.
First of all, adding Sarah Palin to the ticket provides the most striking counterpoint to Joe Biden that one could possibly hope for. While Barack Obama endlessly rhetorificates (I just made that word up) about "change" and getting away from old-school, business-as-usual, Beltway-insider politics, Joe Biden will be standing next to him as a monument to exactly that. Standing next to John McCain will be Sarah Palin, who is anything but a part of the good ol' boy political landscape.
I also think that this actually defuses some of the Obama campaign's openings to attack the McCain ticket on issues of age. OK, McCain is a little old, but his VP is in her prime. If Obama wants to point out her youth and inexperience on the national stage, he brings up one of his own vulnerabilities, which he probably wishes everyone would forget about. If he spins his youth and inexperience as an advantage, he provides the same defense to Palin.
The most obvious advantage Sarah Palin brings is a solid set of conservative values. McCain long ago alienated many, many members of the conservative base (including myself) with his stands on such things as McCain-Feingold and illegal immigration. However, Sarah Palin not only talks conservative, she walks conservative. She favors a strong national defense, and she has a son in the military. She is pro-life, and refused to abort her youngest son even after he was discovered to have Down Syndrome while still in the womb. She supports the 2nd Amendment, and hunts, fishes, and is a life member of the NRA. She supports energy independence through domestic oil production, and favors drilling for oil in her own state (ANWR).
At any rate, there has been much analysis already done, but it appears that Sarah Palin's presence on the ticket will both provide a counter-balance to many of McCain's liberal leanings, and will provide a sharp contrast to the demi-Marxist Obama/Biden offering. As is the American way, I think Sarah Palin will sink or swim on her own merit. But if her personal and political history is any indication, I'm betting on swim.