McCain’s Masterful Stroke In Selecting Palin
Friday, August 29th, 2008 at
1:39 pm
Senator John McCain not only hit a home run but a grand slam with his surprise selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential nominee. With his brilliant move, Senator McCain changed the dynamic of the presidential race. Rather than the press focusing on Senator Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, all the talk today on the cable networks will be on McCain’s decision.
Looking at both campaigns it’s clear that McCain’s campaign has Obama’s campaign beat when it comes to competence. Obama’s announcement was poorly handled. McCain’s was a masterpiece.
But I was also reminded that McCain was once a Navy fighter pilot and that much of the strategy surrounding the pick reflects his military experience.
One of the keys to winning a war is to keep your enemy guessing what you’re going to do next. In other words, misdirection and misinformation are among your best weapons. McCain pulled off one of the greatest media headfakes in recent political history. Even up until the announcement speculation was that either Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota or former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney would be the pick. Either would have been okay but not able to create the firestorm of support that Palin’s selection has created. McCain also did a terrific job of keeping a lid on the choice until the news of the pick would have the maximum possible effect. McCain understands the saying “loose lips sink ships” applies to politics as well as the military.
Another key to winning a war is to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses. Barack Obama’s biggest weakness is among women. By not picking Hillary Clinton as his VP, he snubbed the 18 million plus voters that cast ballots for her. Many of her supporters are women, These voters are ripe to be picked off by McCain. By nominating a woman, McCain has put those voters in play.
Finally, to win a war you have to be willing to take risks. Governor Palin is largely unknown outside Alaska where she enjoys an 80% approval rating. The McCain campaign will have to work to get her story out to the public. However, the timing of the announcement right before the start of the Republican convention allows McCain to control the narrative and allow the focus to be on his running mate for the next few days and blunts any bounce Senator Obama will have been able to gain from his convention.
Senator McCain has shown himself capable of leading this country. He’s willing to take risks and do what is right. With this decision, he has changed the course of the entire campagin.
Tagged with: John McCain • sarah palin
Filed under: Politics • Republicans • Tom
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The GOP has an issue with the perception of graft and corruption. Do you think it’s going to hurt that this brand new Governor already has an ongoing ethics investigation into her administration?
If that’s the best attack the Democrats are going to have to offer against the pick then it’s not much. Palin actually welcomed the investigation and stated she had nothing to hide. Refreshing for a politician to not try to dodge an investigation.
They ALWAYS say they have nothing to hide.
What makes you think it’s “not much”? Do you suspect she’s innocent? Do you have think the evidence is not strong or do you know anything about the case?
I don’t, to be sure.
I would think SURELY if there were anything to it, McCain wouldn’t have chosen her, but seeing as how it is ongoing, it just seems an odd choice, to me. Especially since that is one of the problems with the Republican brand: The perception of corruption due to the many convictions/scandals.
The investigation in question is also being led by a prominent Democrat so there’s absolutely no chance that this is purely political.
I don’t think that it’s going to be a big deal. I’m also certain that McCain knew that it could potentially be an issue and chose her anyway. We’ll see if it makes a difference but I doubt it.
I find it astonishing that so many conservatives think disappointed Hillary supporters will really jump on the McCain ticket just because Sarah Palin is a woman. What an insult to their intelligence and commitment to the values they believe in. They may be disaffected, but I expect any lingering animosity will be quelled at the thought of electing a ticket that is so utterly opposed to the things Hillary stands for. Obama mirrors those commitments. Gender is significant, but the idea that Democratic women will vote for any woman just because she is a woman is incredibly patronizing to them as citizens.
How masterful is it?? He passed up many qualified people. He only met her face to face one time prior to his appointment. 2 years ago, they played the tapes yesterday, she was FOR the “bridge to no where” as it is called. Yesterday, in her speech she said she was against it! She is very pro guns, as a Mom I certainly am not, would not want one near my children or my house. She has a very young child with Downs syndrome, how is she going to be a mom of 5 kids including one disabled infant as VP??? She was mayor of a very small town, and governor of a State of only 670,000 less than the metropolitan area of most large cities! Give me a break!
Inexperience aside (and that’s a huge feat), what does this choice say about McCain’s judgment? A 72 year old with four bouts with cancer chooses an unknown governor and former small town mayor to be “ready on day one” if necessary to succeed him, in a post-9/11 world. PALIN will sit across from Putin and Medvedev? PALIN will handle a nuclear armed Pakistan? This isn’t bold and risky; it’s reckless. I am disgusted by his arrogance and clear disdain for the office. Putting Country First? My ass. He’s putting an election first. Palin is the crappy gift you get that you pretend to love. Let’s not be so myopic as to think that just because she’s staunchly pro life, which is wonderful, that she’s the best pick. She’s not. I can think of few people who would be worse. John McCain may have just handed the election to Obama/Biden. Congratulations, SCO.
Wendy, McCain had an ad by the head of a group of Hillary supporters that were going to vote for him *before* the Palin pick. I think the identity politics of the Democrats will come back to bite them.
Deb, hadn’t heard about the Bridge to Nowhere tape, I’d need to see it to comment on it. (Link?) But running a city and a state is a bit different than having a vote in the legislature. Her experience, comparatively small as it may be to other mayors and governors, is far more than the others in this race. Do we want a guy who’s not had any executive experience running the country on day 1?
The Down’s syndrome baby is a thorny issue. I will say my wife is thrilled that she’s been chosen, even with that. The radical feminists will have a tough time talking Palin down because this is precisely what they’ve been arguing; a great job and family. They will have to stay quiet so as not to display a double standard, or they’ll have to look foolish. As a Christian, I have to consider this, though I think a father can raise and nurture children as well. We’re not nearly as adept at it (and if you want to call me a sexist, fine, whatever), but we can be taught, and Palin’s husband should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Vox, you say “inexperience aside” and then go on to complain about Palin’s experience. If experience means so much, then as I keep saying, Obama’s “experience” in an executive job pales against what Palin has done. Whatever you say about what Palin may or may not do in front of the bad guys of the world, aren’t you equally as worried about Obama? If not, why not? And she’s more than pro-life; she’s a staunch ethics politician (going after the bad guys in her own party), a conservationist that still understands energy, she’s a hunter (again, and a conservationist). She just hits the mark on so many levels.
The race was already Obama’s. McCain’s pick wasn’t going to hand anything to anybody. The best he could do is pick a VP with executive experience that would get the base fired up (something he hadn’t done). He did just that. The race is on.
I’m not complaining about Palin’s lack of experience so much as McCain’s short sighted poor judgment. Please, just you, me, and the fencepost: do you HONESTLY, in your heart of hearts, believe that she is the BEST GOP choice John McCain could have picked for running mate? Is this the BEST the GOP has to offer?
Vox, from a Wall Street Journal profile on her:
80% approval in her state, someone who doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. Anti-corruption, even and especially in her own party. Good energy policy, without becoming a pawn of anybody. Really, name someone else who, not only has avoided the baggage of most politicians, but has actively worked against such “crony-ism” baggage, and on top of which has it right on so many issues. She’s as close as you’re likely to get to the politician everybody says they wish there were more of.
Thrilled, I am. Absolutely thrilled.
I’m thrilled as well, as you can see from the post above. Identity politics has come back to bite the Democrats in spades. Just check out this article from Kirsten Powers .
So if something happened to McCain in, say, February ’09, you’d be fine with her as commander-in-chief?
I’d feel much more comfortable with Palin than I would with Obama who has no experience managing anything much less running the government.
Really? Because the Alaska State Senate President Lyda Green thinks differently:
“”She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?” said Green, a Republican from Palin’s hometown of Wasilla. “Look at what she’s done to this state. What would she do to the nation?”
I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E. As neocon Charles Krauthammer says, this pick was “near suicidal”.