Campaign 2008: The Palin Effect

It’s relatively early in the life and times of the freshly minted 2008 Presidential Final Four. The Democrats solidified the team they hope will be their Dynamic Duo, last Thursday night in Denver, Colorado, with Senator Barack Obama’s acceptance of his Party’s nomination. Senator Joe Biden joins him in this quest for the Holy Grail of American politics.

The Republicans will do the same thing tomorrow in St. Paul, Minnesota, when Senator John McCain accepts the GOP nomination. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin rounds out the Party’s team of would be Valorous Vanquishers of all things evil. Yes it is early, but it is not too soon to pose questions, and/or speculate about specific aspects of the two campaigns.

Last week I examined the key players in a drama that had been unfolding since January, and February, 2007, when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, respectively, declared their candidacies for President. While the Democrats added a new player in Senator Biden a couple of Saturdays ago, the Senator is not new to the National, or even the International stage. Because of this distinction, I spent most of the time discussing the individuals who had commanded the podium during the first two nights of the Convention, Mrs. Obama, and Mrs. Clinton.

This week has been different, however. First Senator McCain, playing to his maverick image, pulled a stunner by selecting Alaska’s Governor as his running mate. Merely holding the Republican National Convention (RNC) has been further complicated by the paths of two major storm systems, Hurricanes Gustav, and Hanna.

Gustav was especially nettlesome for the RNC because it held the City of New Orleans in its sights, threatening to reprise the devastation and mayhem wrought by Hurricane Katrina, nearly 3 years ago to the day. Republican Convention strategists decided to play down the flourish and festive aspects scheduled for the outset of the of the Convention, in favor of targeting with laser-like precision and intensity, “the care and concern” maintained by the GOP faithful for the people of New Orleans.

A great deal of attention has been devoted to the addition of Palin to the Ticket, by the media and common folks alike. An ardent proponent of the Pro-Life viewpoint, an NRA member, a supporter of drilling to increase Oil Reserves, a maverick in her own right, and of course a woman, Governor Palin enables the Grand Old Party to argue that it has strengthened its Ticket, and created a buzz about Senator McCain’s efforts to secure the White House.

Yet, as with most things political, choosing the gun-toting Governor was not universally viewed as a slam dunk. In fact, while she nailed a number of the Party’s platform planks, and talking points, her selection ensured a number of other equally salient counterpoints. Republicans have incessantly highlighted Obama’s inexperience.

The Governor adds little, if anything on that issue; she may even diminish the Party's standing.

Arguably, the issue that drives the range of Palin’s detractors from apathy to apoplexy, both within, and outside the Republican Party, is the seeming lack of thorough vetting her selection received. Published reports indicate Senator McCain met with Governor Palin, in their sole encounter, in February at a Governors’ Conference. Then August 27th, he spoke with her to offer the Vice President’s slot.

For his part, Senator McCain confidently asserted he had fully vetted her. Then the other shoe(s) began to drop:

The Governor is being investigated by the Alaska Legislature for allegations of abuse of power in connection with dismissing a Public Safety Commissioner who refused to fire her brother-in-law.

The Commissioner’s replacement, appointed by Palin, subsequently resigned after if was revealed he had received a letter of reprimand for sexual harassment in his previous position.

News was released of a 22-year old DUI arrest record for the Governor’s husband, Todd Palin,

The Governor gave birth to her first child 8-months after eloping to marry her husband, Todd Palin.

The Governor’s acknowledged her 17-year old daughter Bristol is 5-months pregnant.

In one of the more olive branch-acts of the Race for the White House, Democratic nominee, Barack Obama immediately declared Bristol’s baby would not be an issue during the campaign, declaring it, “off-limits.” I think it’s fair to say that’s certainly a “Change We Can Believe In.”

So what can we make of The Palin Effect on Campaign 08? The Right's Spin will be in full effect for the next couple of days. Governor Palin will officially accept her Party’s nomination for Vice President this evening. Before that happens, she will be labeled a patriot, a heroine, and a woman of great conviction. Her support for her daughter and simultaneous adherence to the principles of Pro-Choice will be indelibly etched in our collective psyche. Tears will be shed; she will be deemed fit for the job to which she aspires…and the one that logically follows.

When all is said and done, the Republican Ticket will get a “bounce” (just as the Democratic Ticket did a week ago), the race will be a dead heat, and for the next 61 days, it will be “on like a pot of neck bones.” As the world watches and waits for the unfolding of events, you the electorate will determine just what kind of historic change America makes on November 4th, or more likely, in the early morning hours of November 5th.

One way or another, it will be an historic occasion. Either we will propel a woman to the lofty status of our Country’s Vice President, for the first time, or we will catapult an African American to the positions of President of the United States, and Commander-in-Chief; Leader of the Free World.

What is it going to be; and why? I’m done; holla!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Republican_National_Convention

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

http://gov.state.ak.us/

http://gov.state.ak.us/bio.php

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http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/02/palin.investigation/index.html?iref=topnews

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http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/09/02/bushies-come-to-palin-s-rescue.aspx

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26517781/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/01/politics/main4405552.shtml

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080902/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin_daughter

http://politicalblogs.startribune.com/bigquestionblog/?p=1142

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http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/the_palin_meltdown_in_slomo.php


http://www.charlotteobserver.com/194/story/167870.html