Palin: Don't Take Her For Granted!

by: QueenTiye

Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 18:58

Reposted from another site;

I know the unorthodoxy of this choice makes Obama supporters want to celebrate - but in fact this is a very solid choice. Newness doesn't last long - it fades almost instantly - and while people may be hesitant about such a newbie for president - she's not running for president. YES-it makes me uncomfortable to imagine her as next in line - but next is still not NOW. More importantly - Palin shores up McCain's base - and is attractive from a "woman in the white house" point of view. She's pro-life, pro-guns, pro-drilling. That's a conservative trifecta. More importantly - the ONLY real effective argument against Palin is Clinton. Biden will have to be really careful in his debate against her because on the one hand he can wipe the floor with her, but on the other hand, optically - he could wind up looking like a bully. So - this choice ties one hand behind Biden's back. I think he can win anyway - but he's got a LOT of prep to do for tone - he's got to go against Michelle, Hillary, Pelosi, and a couple of other women in private (focus group watched) debates to gauge tone against a variety of female personas. And the pro-life argument has to come from a woman - there will be no woman in any of the debates. WORSE - Obama came across to some women as smug when up against Hillary, s he's got to tread very carefully.

No - this is a very smart choice for McCain, and while it is a beatable ticket - it's not an easily beatable one.

QueenTiye :: Palin: Don't Take Her For Granted!

Tags: Sarah Palin, Vice President, oil, guns, (All Tags)

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Palin: Don't Take Her For Granted! | 2 comments

Indeed. (4.00 / 1)

Marc Ambinder also makes the point that every conservative activist he's talked to is fired up by this pick. Compare and contrast with progressive activists' reaction to ... Biden.

(Quick digression: I'm not at all sure Biden could wipe the floor with her -- who knows, I've never seen her in a debate format, but she seems intelligent, personable, and quick-witted.)

Plus, sad to say, unless the tone really changes the sexism and misogyny of the attacks that "progressives" mount on her are likely to continue to alienate women -- dampening the enthusiasm of Obama supporters, driving away at least some women who haven't made up their minds, and energizing conservative women. Of course it doesn't need to be this way, but cruising around the blogosphere so far it's hard to be optimistic ...

jon

by: JonPincus @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 01:15:30 AM UTC

I'm so glad that you see what I see (0.00 / 0)

because it troubles me that so many are so quick to dismiss her and on such misogynistic terms. A HuffPost blogger actually posted that VPILF was now in play. Really? According to whom? I find it insulting, and I'm not planning on voting for McCain/Palin no matter what. How come PILF isn't in play for Obama? How about the suggestion that the only reason McCain chose her is because he hopes to cheat on his wife with her? Yes - that's a slam against McCain, but its a harsher slam against Palin.

I'll add this to the mix. A lot of people feel that there will be a backlash of older female voters angry at the young pretty thing being chosen. Maybe. But how about the backlash I myself feel at the idea that being young and pretty automatically means you can't also be competent and up for the job? (Yes - I agree that she's NOT up for the job - or at least that we have nothing to base her preparedness on, but that's not the point.) Palin is 3 years older than me, and I'm considered at least pretty by most - and I always found it offensive that Hillary had to go around trying to look assertive in pantsuits in order to pass the C-I-C test. I always said if it were me, I'd be as pretty and sexy as I actually wanted to be, and I'd let my actual competence speak for itself. In this - Palin paints a pretty sympathetic picture to those of us who are just about sick of having to deny our femininity to be taken seriously.

The rush of Palin threads here are attempts by those on the left to develop a narrative attack. I only want to make sure that that narrative is honest, non-sexist, and takes into account the real appeal that Palin actually has. Anything less, and we blow it.

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by: QueenTiye @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 17:55:26 PM UTC