Is anyone entirely surprised that John McCain would choose unwisely? In a naked attempt to appeal to women, McCain has chosen as a running mate a woman completely out of touch with women’s issues. In what is nothing more than an attempt to drive a wedge back into the Democratic party, McCain has chosen an attractive woman as his running mate…and that’s all people know about her so far.
What people will learn is that she is as far removed from the ideals of the women who voted for Hillary Clinton in the primaries as McCain’s own supporters are from the supporters of Dennis Kucinich.
There are women on whom this outwardly cynical ploy will work, but they’re mostly women who would have done what their husbands or preachers told them to do, anyway, ie, vote for John McCain because the other guy…well, he’s a Democrat, and he cares about women.
There are two ways in which this otherwise silly pick could help McCain. First, it will certainly draw attention away from the Democratic convention which was modestly successful. Second, it limits Joe Biden’s ability to attack in their one debate. For while Republicans will surely trumpet the choice of this strong woman as McCain’s running mate, they would also surely trumpet about that old mean Mr. Biden when he redirects her in their debate.
While McCain will be endlessly and tactlessly repeating the mantra that Obama is too inexperienced to lead, he has chosen a woman whose experience so far is being on the Wasilla, Alaska City Council, being the Mayor of Wasilla, and serving part of a term as governor of Alaska.
In other related experience, she did win the Miss Wasilla contest, where she was also Miss Congeniality, in 1984, and second place in the Miss Alaska competition. This experience fits in well with the McCain tradition of promoting the women close to him as contestants for beauty pageants, such as when he offered his wife up for the Miss Buffalo Chip pageant in which topless and sometimes bottomless women eat bananas while being ogled by drunken bikers at a bar in Sturgis, South Dakota. Parading them around naked in a bar full of drunks is a fine way to show your respect for women.
Electorally, Palin will help McCain win Alaska’s 3 vital electoral votes. However, she will not help him in North Dakota, a state which can match Alaska for electoral heft.
All in all, Governor Sarah Palin is an interesting and sexy bad choice. Senator McCain is famous for making bad choices.
Tags: Alaska, Biden, Buffalo Chip, democrat, election, Kucinich, McCain, Obama, Palin, republican, Wasilla
Leave a Reply