| So I'm talking to a good number of friends and consultants around the country, and I'm reading the views of respected bloggers and activists, and, well, everyone has a good point.
One side says too much about Palin distracts from McSame and our awful economic, social, ethical and political circumstances. The other says we can't overdo the attention on Palin, because when she implodes, McCain's judgment implodes with her, and besides, she's going to bring over just enough votes in certain swing states that she matters, even if she's wounded with the larger American public.
As some here have noted, we can and should do both. I actually think Obama and Biden have done a good job staying on message, though both need to sharpen it up. They're too damn thoughtful and cool. A little outrage and a few sharp rhetorical knives would make all of our lives -- and theirs -- a lot easier.
I also expect Palin to drop a little in public opinion the next couple of weeks. Have you seen the grocery store gossip magazines, magazines purchased and read in overwhelming numbers by white women of modest incomes, married and unmarried, with some or no college? I know this because I looked up their advertising demographics. And this is a demographic everyone says is critical in 2008.
I can't believe it's a good thing for McCain and Palin that she's been turned into a gossip's dream. "Babies, Lies & Scandal," screams the cover of US Weekly. "Sarah Palin's Dark Secrets," says the National Enquirer. "Sarah Palin's Family Drama," shouts People magazine.
People might talk endlessly about Britney Spears or Tom Cruise. But they don't, I don't think, want them leading their nation.
We can't discount and simply overlook the odd Addams Family aura that surrounds Palin. This ickiness will be gossiped about in school lounges, kid ball parks, around water coolers, at the barbershops and hairdressers. The tabloids will do most of this work for us. But, I'm just saying...
The outrageous lies about her attitude toward taxpayer money (spend all she can hope her DC lobbyists can get, then lie about it), her abuses of office for personal vendettas, her extremist policy views on women's health and almost every other issue, her total lack of experience, all these things deserve our daily attention. We can't let up.
And it's all the more important that we don't because the national media, accused of being hard on her, have taken that as an accusation of child abuse. She is totally their baby. And they are hugging and kissing her in public to prove their loving kindness. We let this go at our peril.
Biden should carry the attack. And he should be forceful. We should be there with him. Obama should focus exclusively on McCain.
Back in 2004 I wrote a book and created a national organization attacking Bush's military record. We raised some good money, put up some ads in swing states. CBS kinda screwed the pooch on this answer to the Kerry swift boating. But what was most disturbing to me was the lack of support we got from some progressive quarters. Air America, for instance, wouldn't promote the work because they wanted to focus on issues. I'm not making that up. They forgot we could do more than one thing at the same time
We make a mistake when we forget we can and must do several things at once. This is one of those times. If we fail at any of them -- making Palin unacceptable, making McCain Bush III, advancing our own character and solutions to our nation's sad circumstances -- we won't win.
So, I've got friends on both sides of the Palin argument. And I'm with my friends on this one. |
