« Six Suggestions to Improve Short Term Stability: | AlaskaSense's Blog | Robocall desparation count »
Eating my words
Back in early September, I had posted at TPM that the Palin pick would cause headaches for the democrats. Based on what my friends and family in Alaska had said, her debate performances with Halcro and Knowles, how she'd defeated Murkowski in the primary and Knowles in the gubernatorial election, and the articles I'd read about her in the Anchorage Daily News, Wasilla Frontiersman, and Juneau Empire, I'd made several points:
- she's a real person (not a "fake" hunter like Romney)
- she'd accomplished some real things in Alaska (the gas pipeline, $1200 rebate checks, etc) that had benefited people there
- she's very popular in Alaska
- she'd accomplished some striking (for Alaska) political successes
- she's a woman and they are after the disaffected Hillary voters
My final point was that we'll see how she handles herself on the national stage. One week ago I cast my second vote of the year for Obama. And I'm looking back, frankly enjoying the taste and flavor of that post.
Woefully unprepared and unintelligent is really the nicest thing one can say at this point. And you'd have to fault the McCain team some. Normally, she'd have done months of surrogate work (like Pawlenty and others), answering questions on issues with a national scope; she'd have regular meetings with the campaign prior to VP selection; they'd have combed her file and have known the likely outcome of the Monegan firing and other issues. She wasn't on the same message plan as McCain. But Palin herself bears the brunt of the blame.
- When Palin is asked about her foreign policy experience, she didn't answer honestly: "I don't have much foreign policy experience, but neither have some of our most successful Presidents. I do have experience with people, here's how I work with people, etc." Except maybe she can't - she's pressured or fired too many, and her administration is full of Wasilla High clique members.
- Same issue with the Supreme Court case question. So if you don't know, why not discuss Alaska cases? Like same-sex benefits as determined by the Alaska state court? Uh-oh - can't go there either, because it's a no-win with the base.
- And the debates? That could take pages...
- The economy? Well, she's bound to fail there - she can't propose increasing taxes on the oil companies and giving all Americans a $1,200 check like the legislation she signed in Alaska. That's mavericky, though, ain't it?
- The newspaper? It almost seems like she doesn't read at all!
Issues tell voters what you support. But your actions and answers show people who you are. This is where Palin slid like a slippery salmon out of the river and thrashed about on the rocks. And after today, the wolves and crows will show up to the feast. I doubt seriously there will be much left of the carcass for 2012. But what the heck - I've eaten my words before...
Advertisement
I don't know if it was you but I said, when Palin appearead and was at her high water mark, that she is a shiny new toy which will eventually lose it's luster. Once the election got back to being about Obama V. McCain and the REAL issues, Sarah Palin would become irrelevant. She went even further than that and actually became a detterent.
November 4, 2008 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
She sure did. And listening to her speak makes me reach for the detergent.
November 4, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I always saw Palin as a tactical decision to accomplish a single goal: suck the oxygen out of the democratic party's triumphant convention. In that respect she was completely effective.
The problem for the GOP is that nobody was charting a long-term strategic plan; so the goal of winning news cycles was able to eclipse the goal of winning the presidency. The Palin selection was a symptom of dysfunctional/nonexistent long term planning. The team was so focused on winning August, they lost sight of November.
November 4, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink