I tend to look at politics through a lens that removes qualification, considering mostly the pandering and FUD, since that's what seems to swing (at least) the polls, and moreover some elections. Certainly George W. Bush was vastly under-qualified the first time he was elected, for example. I think the McCain campaign shot themselves in the foot by choosing Palin, since she is roundabout the same ballpark of qualification and experience as Senator Obama, who the McCain campaign have often caused trouble at the polls by way of FUD about being inexperienced. With all voters a little shaky about McCain's age and health, phrases like "a heartbeat from the presidency" are bound to be thrown around about his VP pick with slightly more earnestness than normal. In this case, you have Governor Palin a heartbeat away, and that really takes away McCain's ability to call Obama out on experience grounds.
They've also made a point of drawing attention to Obama's appearance from time to time — that he's a good-looking, vapid celebrity. I think it's (politically) fair to throw that back in their face on Governor Palin, if one can say with a straight face that she's some sort of überpretty (I don't think I can, even by the low standards for politicians.) The way I see it, they had several possible VP picks who were almost identical to her but with more experience, and who were mostly more established politically. Governor Palin slightly sharpens McCain's maverick image, but her own anti-corruption story is as stained as his, if much shorter, so she at most only barely helps there.
I think it's cynical, but not misogynistic, to think, given all that, that one of the main reasons the McCain camp chose her was that they thought that she would win over the moderates, who they assume will decide the election in large part, who were going to vote for Sen. Clinton just because she was a woman. They've reduced the politics of the candidacy to that before, and I don't think it's unreasonable to do that, especially in light of the increased noise about people who wanted to support Clinton but wouldn't support Obama around the DNC, during which the McCain campaign attempted to steal some thunder by offering up what they thought those woman-seeking moderates were disappointed to not get in Obama's announcement. The McCain camp has said a lot of dumb, misogynistic things about women wanted to vote for a woman, and fanned the flames of that problem within the Democratic Party. To assume that they would reduce the politics of winning to such absurdity is not misogynistic, it's just assuming their thought processes have some continuity, when it comes to manipulating the politics and image of the campaign.
And of course, Governor Palin is a member of a group (according to various Family™ organizations, anyway) called Feminists for Life. They like the Life bit, they don't like the Feminist bit, but she is in part a pander to the social conservatives who just don't believe McCain after all the years he's been a thorn in their side. They got very alienated by Romney's flip-flopping in the run-up to the decision on the top of the ticket, and hadn't really come back to the table yet. Now it looks as though they might swallow their pride and endorse McCain because of, in no small part, Governor Palin.
Choosing a VP is usually a very calculated political choice to balance the ticket and to attract people from across the aisle and who were otherwise disillusioned, and I don't think that's not the case in this election for some mysterious reason. I'm certain that part of why Governor Palin was chosen was to (1) give the campaign a younger look (2) draw some people who wanted to vote for a woman, any woman, in the White House (3) bring the pro-life and social conservative crowd over. I think #1 was a mistake and #2 and #3 will come back to bite them, if they haven't already, but that's neither here nor there.
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Date: 2008-08-30 06:44 pm (UTC)They've also made a point of drawing attention to Obama's appearance from time to time — that he's a good-looking, vapid celebrity. I think it's (politically) fair to throw that back in their face on Governor Palin, if one can say with a straight face that she's some sort of überpretty (I don't think I can, even by the low standards for politicians.) The way I see it, they had several possible VP picks who were almost identical to her but with more experience, and who were mostly more established politically. Governor Palin slightly sharpens McCain's maverick image, but her own anti-corruption story is as stained as his, if much shorter, so she at most only barely helps there.
I think it's cynical, but not misogynistic, to think, given all that, that one of the main reasons the McCain camp chose her was that they thought that she would win over the moderates, who they assume will decide the election in large part, who were going to vote for Sen. Clinton just because she was a woman. They've reduced the politics of the candidacy to that before, and I don't think it's unreasonable to do that, especially in light of the increased noise about people who wanted to support Clinton but wouldn't support Obama around the DNC, during which the McCain campaign attempted to steal some thunder by offering up what they thought those woman-seeking moderates were disappointed to not get in Obama's announcement. The McCain camp has said a lot of dumb, misogynistic things about women wanted to vote for a woman, and fanned the flames of that problem within the Democratic Party. To assume that they would reduce the politics of winning to such absurdity is not misogynistic, it's just assuming their thought processes have some continuity, when it comes to manipulating the politics and image of the campaign.
And of course, Governor Palin is a member of a group (according to various Family™ organizations, anyway) called Feminists for Life. They like the Life bit, they don't like the Feminist bit, but she is in part a pander to the social conservatives who just don't believe McCain after all the years he's been a thorn in their side. They got very alienated by Romney's flip-flopping in the run-up to the decision on the top of the ticket, and hadn't really come back to the table yet. Now it looks as though they might swallow their pride and endorse McCain because of, in no small part, Governor Palin.
Choosing a VP is usually a very calculated political choice to balance the ticket and to attract people from across the aisle and who were otherwise disillusioned, and I don't think that's not the case in this election for some mysterious reason. I'm certain that part of why Governor Palin was chosen was to (1) give the campaign a younger look (2) draw some people who wanted to vote for a woman, any woman, in the White House (3) bring the pro-life and social conservative crowd over. I think #1 was a mistake and #2 and #3 will come back to bite them, if they haven't already, but that's neither here nor there.