Palin's appointment underlines how far to the right America's political dialog has shifted. To nominate someone in a similar position to Palin, the Democratic Party would have had to nominate, not Russ Feingold, but Cynthia McKinney, as Vice-President. Someone from deep inside of the Democratic urban core with a penchant for reaching farther than the evidence sometimes permits, and whose constituencies thrive on the reddest of red meat politically. It is not an exageration to say that Sarah Palin is less moderate that Ron Paul, or Bob Barr, among Republicans. No Democratic politician, however, would be allowed close to the national stage being as vicious and vociferous as Palin is. The important thing to realize about Palin is that she is, and was, and will remain, a defensive play by the Republicans. In attacking her directly the blogosphere made one of the oldest mistakes in online politics: do not feed the trolls. By feeding the troll, all the troll had to do was prove, not competence, but ordinary humanity. Palin has been groomed for years for this moment. She was not an unready pick by McCain, but a calculated choice by backers like The Club for Growth. As a defensive play she is the creature of the "one acre one vote" constituencies of the Republican Party, of the Christianist extremists, of the NASCAR widow moms. A person from the world of anti-choice women, because in that world a woman being anti-choice publicly is part and parcel of a strategy. It is a way of a woman signaling that she isn't going to drain a man's resources in return for just sex, but that he has a chance of producing offspring, and if there are offspring, they will live. The story of her pregnant daughter underlines how this process works: her boyfriend is now a father to be and husband to be and not just a prop on the way to an ultimate marriage. Sperm competition in action. As a defensive play her job was to engage, in a way they had not been engaged, the far right wing hinterlands, and the attack dogs of the right. McCain, as a tired old wax candle that is more than half way to melting, excites little love among them. The energy for McCain was in 2000-2004, but as soon as McCain-Feingold was passed, so too was his political moment. His entire campaign now is that he is a successful gambler. That the surge was a gamble that worked. Now Palin adds to it. McCain took a gamble, she paid off last night. Thus instead of marginalizing Palin, the attacks made her mainstream. Even extremists have children.
Palin's appointment underlines how far to the right America's political dialog has shifted. To nominate someone in a similar position to Palin, the Democratic Party would have had to nominate, not Russ Feingold, but Cynthia McKinney, as Vice-President. Someone from deep inside of the Democratic urban core with a penchant for reaching farther than the evidence sometimes permits, and whose constituencies thrive on the reddest of red meat politically. It is not an exageration to say that Sarah Palin is less moderate that Ron Paul, or Bob Barr, among Republicans. No Democratic politician, however, would be allowed close to the national stage being as vicious and vociferous as Palin is.
The important thing to realize about Palin is that she is, and was, and will remain, a defensive play by the Republicans. In attacking her directly the blogosphere made one of the oldest mistakes in online politics: do not feed the trolls. By feeding the troll, all the troll had to do was prove, not competence, but ordinary humanity. Palin has been groomed for years for this moment. She was not an unready pick by McCain, but a calculated choice by backers like The Club for Growth.
As a defensive play she is the creature of the "one acre one vote" constituencies of the Republican Party, of the Christianist extremists, of the NASCAR widow moms. A person from the world of anti-choice women, because in that world a woman being anti-choice publicly is part and parcel of a strategy. It is a way of a woman signaling that she isn't going to drain a man's resources in return for just sex, but that he has a chance of producing offspring, and if there are offspring, they will live. The story of her pregnant daughter underlines how this process works: her boyfriend is now a father to be and husband to be and not just a prop on the way to an ultimate marriage. Sperm competition in action.
As a defensive play her job was to engage, in a way they had not been engaged, the far right wing hinterlands, and the attack dogs of the right. McCain, as a tired old wax candle that is more than half way to melting, excites little love among them. The energy for McCain was in 2000-2004, but as soon as McCain-Feingold was passed, so too was his political moment. His entire campaign now is that he is a successful gambler. That the surge was a gamble that worked. Now Palin adds to it. McCain took a gamble, she paid off last night.
Thus instead of marginalizing Palin, the attacks made her mainstream. Even extremists have children.
question is; does she have any cross over appeal ? So far the numbers aren't convincing. keep to the Fen Causeway
