Reason's 2008 Live Convention Coverage
McCain Takes the Fight to the Enemy
Matt Welch | August 29, 2008, 3:43pm
In the Denver Airport's mile-long security line, returning Democratic delegates were trying to cheer themselves up about John McCain's inspired choice of Sarah Palin as running mate. "Worst pick ever!" an obnoxious young fellow in a loud "Yes We Can" shirt bellowed, to nobody in particular. "Worst pick since Quayle!" The desperation was showing.
In one of the many other airport lines created by United Airlines, soberer delegates were shaking their heads with reluctant respect for McCain's stones. "Choosing Biden was the safe move," a Washington state Democrat said (quotes are approximate). "Choosing Palin was bold."
That seems exactly right. Biden's qualities are almost perfectly tailored to shore up precisely what people fear about Obama: Where Obama is almost dangerously inexperienced, Biden has been on the Foreign Service Committee since the Truman Administration. Where Obama is an arugula-nibbling, sophisticated Other, Biden is a lunchbucketeer who talks like Uncle Festus. Where Obama has trouble in the Rust Belt, Biden can't shut his trap about "the lineworker" and other fetishized regular Joes from Scranton. The whole play is defensive, and no matter how seemingly perfect Biden's qualities seem to fit Obama's needs, at the end of the day...he's still Joe Biden.
Palin, too, complements McCain -- he's old and crusty, she's young and hot, he is still distrusted by social conservatives, she's a social-con darling, he's been in the Senate about as long as Joe Biden, she's a newish governor several thousand miles away. But the strategic calculation is about offense. You want an identity politics election? Bring it on! Think all those wayward Hillary voters are going to automatically come back to the fold? How about a candidate who's not afraid of a strong woman! And nothing reinforces the tattered but still-effective "maverick" reputation than choosing a largely unknown woman who is "as libertarian as you can hope for on a major ticket."
One urgent theme among Democrats in 2008, from the netroots to the top of the ticket, is that the party needs to come out swinging. Learn from the pugilism of the Gingrich Revolution. Forcefully rebut any attempts at swift-boating. Run toward, not away from, national security. Go on offense.
But it was McCain, not Obama, who used his veepstakes to take the fight directly to the enemy. A risky and potentially disastrous move, given that Palin has zero record on national security during a time of war and would be serving a president who could keel over at any moment...but it's a bold one.
JayDubya | August 29, 2008, 5:43pm | #
"Hey JayDubya, I like her too. Better than the other three.
As likable as she is though, she is nowhere near qualified to step in as President of the United States."
Well, to be fair, I mean I like her on the issues to a great extent. There's plenty to disagree with there, but it's hard to find a perfect political fit (mine's Ron Paul).
All the experience in the world doesn't matter much to me if that experience informs you to do the wrong thing. Also, I'm sure this line is already pretty tired, but she'll be the only one bringing ANY executive experience.
"And that's all that matters. Joe Biden isn't likable but nobody questions whether he's qualified to step in if necessary."
I would argue that because I don't like him, and because I don't like him on the issues, that he's not qualified. :P
"How much moreso with decrepit McCain where that possibility is very real. That's why I can't understand who advised him to pull this preposterous nonsense."
The prospect of McCain's advanced age giving this woman the Presidency only serves to make the ticket much more appealing. McCain is all over the map. I'm not sure where his principles lie. I heard all I needed to about Obama's principles last night.
I'll still be voting for Bob Barr, but McCain's choice in VPs gets a nod of approval from me.
Ebeneezer Scrooge | August 30, 2008, 3:40am | #
B.A. in Journalism, focused on sports reporting. Sportscaster for a small TV station. Mayor of a town of 5,000. Governor of a state less than two years." - Lawnchair
Yeah man, Abomana- I mean Obama sure does have a nice shiny resume.
But with rare exceptions, the "experienced" politicians are people I'd sooner have seen shot by firing squad (by virtue of their records) than elected to anything.
Obama (and McCain) are on my list of people who should not be elected.
[I move that we add a new election cycle, offset 6 months from the "I'm running for office" elections we now have -- in this new cycle, We The People nominate and vote for that politician who most deserves to be shot by firing squad -- no reason not to have these at city, county, state, and national levels simultaneously]
Palin made it to governor of a state. Making that slot in *any* state is a clear sign of ambition (prerequisite for pres and veep too), and also some measure of talent. So don't write her off just yet.
But running for POTUS, and for her running as veep, is something like the modern day equivalent of jumping into the Roman Colluseum. Question is, can she fight and hold her own there?
McCain must think she can. If he's right, I predict the Abomination Man (a name he earns for his clear and consistent socialist principles) is in big trouble.
Nobody has mentioned the most important way that she counter balances McCain. McCain has no principles, beyond proving his own manhood over and over, forever and ever amen. You know, like Teddy Roosevelt, who picked fights just because he needed fights and so he needed enemies. Everybody knows that real men fight.
But Palin actually has something like a set of traditional Republican principles. Like 'em or lump 'em, but at least she has that.
If it turns out she can fight in the Arena, I'm going to award McCain's campaign "Brilliant Move of The Century" award.
And if she can't? Well, nice try. But I think most other choices would have been a loss for him anyway.
Current best case scenerio: Palin proves she's worth her salt. McCain wins the election and dies. Abomination goes back to doing nothing good in the Senate. Hillary Clinton self destructs.
Meanwhile, a large herd of Alaskan moose comes to earn a higher public approval rating than Congress.
Nick | August 31, 2008, 6:34am | #
"This is exactly why intellectual and academic qualifications must have precedence to questions of ideological agreement."
Well, Dwayne, why don't you list what those qualifications are?
Seems to me you think they must be a senator or someone elected to federal office, which is kind of strange. Of course this year, we'll get a senator, but what about the last 40 years where we haven't had a president straight out of the legislation? Legislators are usually bad presidents because they have been focused on making new laws more than on managing a government.
Seems to me you think they must also have a law degree. Libertarians should realize that a country run by lawyers is a country doomed to bureaucracy, overregulation and excessive litigation - they develop the system from their perspective and in the interests of their friends in the trial lawyer lobby. That is reason alone why we should fear Obama-Biden.
I also note in none of your arguments do you state executive experience is important. None of the candidates but Palin have any executive experience over a government.
I'd say McCain's decision was one of the most brilliant political maneuvers I've ever seen - effectively neutering the impacts of Obama's historic "I'll promise you every government program you can dream of and still cut everyone's taxes" speech and setting up the Democratic Party to come off as misogynistic and demonstrate the double standards the Left has for women and minorities who are not on the Left.
It also shores up the political base of the GOP. I think he just effectively changed the archetypal GOPer image away from Mitt Romney types towards a limited and clean government and reform-minded party. Looking at the areas where their values overlap strongest is the rabid opposition to pork, subsidies, taxes, spending and corruption. This is very promising. This is the strongest area of McCain's political ideology, and I think his selection of Palin realigns the GOP more where it was before Bush's extra big government conservatism took hold.
It also reaffirms McCain's maverick image just when everyone was beginning to doubt it. It was a political masterstroke, in my humble opinion, and it was a gamble that has probably a 70% chance of succeeding. Looking at the alternatives listed as potential running mates, none of them had any serious limited government credentials like Sarah Palin, nor did they have the potential. Now, that doesn't mean I'll vote for McCain at all, but kudos for a brilliant political maneuver nonetheless.
